Latest news with #IrishNationalTeachers'Organisation
Irish Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland an ‘outlier' in requiring religious certs to teach in most primary schools
Only countries such as Saudi Arabia *, Iran and Pakistan share the requirement of Irish primary schools for teachers to have religious certificates in order to teach in most settings, a teachers' conference has heard. Almost 90 per cent of primary schools are under Catholic patronage where a religious certificate is required to teach due to the way religion is integrated into the curriculum. At the Irish National Teachers' Organisation 's (INTO) annual congress in Galway on Wednesday, primary teachers backed calls for the removal of the Catholic certificate requirement. They also supported calls for the repeal of legislation which permits schools to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion. READ MORE Jason Kenny, a Dublin-based teacher, speaking at the annual congress of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation in Galway. Photograph: Moya Nolan Jason Kenny, a Dublin-based teacher, told the congress that Ireland was an outlier internationally. 'I looked at other western democracies – countries like the UK, the United States, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. All of them maintain secular public-school systems. Even in Catholic-majority countries like Spain and Italy, the vast majority of public schools are secular,' he said. [ Pope Francis's remains moved to St Peter's Basilica as public begin to pay respects Opens in new window ] 'Religious certificates are only needed to teach religion – not every subject. Ireland is the outlier. Who else requires religious certificate to teach in the majority of public primary schools? 'Countries like Saudi Arabia*, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt and UAE – many of these are countries without a clear separation of church and state; some are not democracies at all.' Alana Wilhem, a primary teacher based in Blessington, Co Wicklow, spoke of having to 'hide her non-religious identity' until recently. 'I taught in my school for 14 years. My colleagues are kind, but genuine belonging means being able to share who you truly are without fear,' she said. 'Only recently ... did I speak openly, a moment that was both terrifying and necessary. I knew I might be risking future employment opportunities, but I'm an adult and I can carry that weight.' Alana Wilhelm speaking at the annual congress of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation in Galway. Photograph: Moya Nolan She also spoke of how one of her children – who attends a local Catholic school – was upset when she had ashes placed on her forehead against her wishes. 'She was upset and afterwards the teacher tried to wash them off. These moments of othering happen every day through ritual, routine and message that imply 'you don't belong',' Ms Wilhem said. 'We cannot champion inclusion while reserving systems of exclusion.' Delegates adopted the recommendations of a union taskforce on the future of religious education and primary school patronage, which calls for an acceleration of divestment of religious schools and a more 'equitable, inclusive and modern' education system. Some delegates, however, spoke in favour of maintaining choice within the education system rather than moving towards a secular system. Hazel McWey, a school principal in Co Carlow, said she was a practising Catholic and that parents were entitled to school choice under the Constitution. 'We don't need to throw the baby out with the Baptismal water,' she said. Helena Teehan, a teacher from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, said Catholic schools were very accommodating and made 'wonderful efforts' to include all children, regardless of their background. She said the religion of teachers did not come up in the staffroom and that having choice in the system helped to vindicate parents' rights. The embassy of Saudi Arabia has since clarified that the Saudi ministry of education 'does not require teachers in primary schools to hold any religious certificates'.
RTÉ News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
INTO delegates debate role of Catholic Church in schools
Primary school teachers want a school system that is "inclusive, equitable and reflective of the diversity of our pupils", according to INTO General Secretary John Boyle. Mr Boyle made the comments at the end of a motion debating the role of the Catholic Church in schools. Delegates from the Irish National Teachers' Organisation turned out in force early this morning for the debate. Speakers spoke of having to hide their non-religious identities in their schools, of children having ashes placed on their foreheads against their will and a primary school principal was among those who criticised legislation that she said was "compelling LGBTQ+ teachers to hide their true selves". The union adopted recommendations that will see it campaign for the accelerated divestment of schools from Catholic patronage and the repeal of legislation which allows schools to discriminate against teachers and other staff on religious grounds. The INTO will also campaign against the requirement of a religious certificate as a condition of employment in Catholic schools, which today's resolution describes as "a discriminatory barrier to employment, limiting access based on religious grounds". The recommendations build on a motion passed by delegates last year which instructed the union to engage with the Catholic bishops for the removal of the certificate requirement. Part of today's motion was rejected by delegates with speakers criticising its call to remove single faith formation entirely from the school day as "going too far". "The purpose of this motion is not to attack religion but to defend the constitution and human rights of all teachers and pupils in our schools," teacher Anna Hurley from west Cork told delegates. Delegate Alana Wilhelm said her youngest child had had ashes put on her forehead against her will at school. "Moments of 'othering' are happening every day," she said, adding, "We cannot champion inclusion unless we challenge exclusion". Criticising section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Act which allows schools to discriminate on the basis of religion, a principal of a Catholic school in Limerick city Tracie Tobin said her school catered to children from 72 countries, with 67 languages, and 16 different religions. "We celebrate all religions and cultures yet there are LGBTQ+ teachers in our schools who because of section 37.1 feel compelled to hide their true selves," she said. "On the whole I was in support of most of the motion", said teacher Caroline Moore from Cavan. "I do think sacramental preparation should be removed, that that should be something that should be done outside the school, but there should still be the choice for parents to choose to send their child to a school of their faith," she added. The INTO conference will conclude later. Preparation for sacraments should happen outside of classroom - teachers The debate on the motion comes as a majority of primary school teachers, who responded to a survey, believe families or parishes should be responsible for preparing children for the sacraments of communion and confirmation. A survey of teachers carried out by the INTO has found just 4% feel the responsibility should lie with schools. The same survey found that two-thirds of respondents believe primary schools should be secular as opposed to having religious patrons. 1,049 teachers responded to a detailed questionnaire that was sent by the union to a random sample of 5,000 members who are representative of the union as a whole in terms of age, gender, urban or rural and other factors. Publishing the findings, the INTO said the survey "provides a valid dataset for analysing the views and opinions of INTO members regarding religious education and school patronage". The survey findings are supported by recommendations from a taskforce that were endorsed in their entirety by INTO delegates at their annual congress in Galway yesterday. The taskforce on the future of school patronage was established at the request of delegates at last year's gathering. In the survey, 57% of respondents said religious instruction should not take place in primary schools. This rose to two-thirds among teachers under the age of 44. The survey reveals a preference consistent across all age groups for schools to be run by secular patrons, with 63% favouring this option. Currently, the vast majority of primary schools are run by the churches, with the Catholic Church in charge of nine out of ten primary schools in the State. At last year's INTO congress, members mandated the union to conduct this research and to establish the taskforce. In its recommendations the taskforce calls for an acceleration of the school divestment process; for the repeal of legislation that allows for teachers to be discriminated against on the basis of their religious or non religious beliefs; and for the union to engage with the Catholic bishops to seek "a more flexible approach" to the requirement for a religious certificate to teach in Catholic schools. It also calls for the removal of sacramental preparation from the core school day. "Repealing this legislation, and the removal of sacramental preparation from schools are two of the most pressing issues for teachers and they are the most immediately achievable," said Anna Hurley, a West Cork teacher, INTO delegate, and member of the taskforce. "They can be done at no cost and they will help ensure an inclusive learning and teaching environment for all pupils and teachers of all faith backgrounds and none," she said. Teaching religion survey 33% of survey respondents said they taught religion willingly. 20% said they would prefer if they did not have to teach religion, and an additional 19% said they would be happy to teach a broad religious programme but would prefer not to instruct in only one particular faith. An overwhelming majority of respondents (87%) indicated there are pupils attending their denominational schools who are not of the faith of the school, and almost the same level (83%) agreed that children in all schools should be taught about other religions. The survey findings and the fact that delegates adopted the recommendations of the taskforce together indicate a strong desire for modernisation and change among the primary teacher workforce.
Irish Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Iran ‘outliers' in requiring religious certs to teach in most primary schools
Only countries such as Saudi Arabia , Iran and Pakistan share the requirement of Irish schools for teachers to have religious certificates in order to teach in most primary schools, a teachers' conference has heard. Almost 90 per cent of primary schools are under Catholic patronage where the certificate is required to teach due to the way religion is integrated into the curriculum. At the Irish National Teachers' Organisation 's (INTO) annual congress in Galway on Wednesday, primary teachers backed calls for the removal of the Catholic religious certificate required to teach in most national schools. They also supported calls for the repeal of legislation which permits schools to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion. READ MORE Jason Kenny, a Dublin-based teacher, told the congress that Ireland was an outlier internationally. 'I looked at other western democracies – countries like the UK, the United States, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. All of them maintain secular public-school systems. Even in Catholic-majority countries like Spain and Italy, the vast majority of public schools are secular,' he said. [ Pope Francis's remains moved to St Peter's Basilica as public begin to pay respects Opens in new window ] 'Religious certificates are only needed to teach religion – not every subject. Ireland is the outlier. Who else requires religious certificate to teach in the majority of public primary schools? 'Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt and UAE – many of these are countries without a clear separation of church and state; some are not democracies at all.' Alana Wilhem, a primary teacher based in Blessington, Co Wicklow, spoke of having to 'hide her non-religious identity' until recently. 'I taught in my school for 14 years. My colleagues are kind, but genuine belonging means being able to share who you truly are without fear,' she said. 'Only recently ... did I speak openly, a moment that was both terrifying and necessary. I knew I might be risking future employment opportunities, but I'm an adult and I can carry that weight.' She also spoke of how one of her children – who attends a local Catholic school – was upset when she had ashes placed on her forehead against her wishes. 'She was upset and afterwards the teacher tried to wash them off. These moments of othering happen every day through ritual, routine and message that imply 'you don't belong',' Ms Wilhem said. 'We cannot champion inclusion while reserving systems of exclusion.' Delegates adopted the recommendations of a union taskforce the future of religious education and primary school patronage, which calls for an acceleration of divestment of religious schools and a more 'equitable, inclusive and modern' education system. Some delegates, however, spoke in favour of maintaining choice within the education system rather than moving to a secular system. Hazel McWey, a school principal in Co Carlow, said she was a practising Catholic and that parents were entitled to school choice under the Constitution. 'We don't need to throw the baby out with the Baptismal water,' she sad. Helena Teehan, a teacher from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, said Catholic schools were very accommodating and made 'wonderful efforts' to include all children, regardless of their background. She said the religion of teachers does not come up in the staffroom and that having a firm foundation of faith and choice in the system helped to vindicate parents' rights.
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Requiring primary teachers to obtain Catholic certificate in religious studies 'discriminatory'
The country's largest teachers' union is to acknowledge requiring teachers to obtain the Catholic certificate in religious studies is a 'discriminatory' employment barrier. However, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) has stopped short of working towards removing single-faith religious education from the school day, beginning with the requirement for teachers to prepare children for the Catholic sacraments. It follows a motion put to delegates at the union's annual congress in Galway on Wednesday. Delegates passed a number of the proposals put to the floor but failed to gain a general consensus on several sections of the motion. This included acknowledging the focus on inclusivity and wellbeing were 'ineffective', while the majority of primary schools remain under religious control. A section of the motion that instructed the union's officials to begin a campaign with the Department of Education to remove single-faith religious education from the school day, as well as urge a ban on religious teaching qualifications for State-funded schools also failed to pass. It comes as the INTO published research that found many teachers have conflicting views on the patronage of Irish primary schools. Despite Government commitments to increasing diversity, 88.3% of primary schools remain under Catholic patronage, while less than 6% have a multi-denominational ethos. The study saw more than 1,000 primary school teachers asked their views on religion in schools. When asked if "faith formation" should take place in primary schools, a majority (57%) said it should not. Faith formation includes developing a child's understanding of and with the Catholic faith and includes preparation for the sacraments as well as the Catholic ethos permeating the whole school day. Just 4% of the teachers surveyed thought preparing children for the sacraments should be a school's responsibility, compared to 47% who believe the family should be responsible. A further 30% said it should be a parish's responsibility, and 18% said it should be both parents and parish. The study also found 'wide variation' in the level of parental involvement with preparing children for the sacraments. The findings from the survey, as well as the work of a taskforce set up to examine the issue, show "a concern among teachers about the mismatch between modern Irish society and the structures governing our primary schools", INTO general secretary John Boyle said. "INTO members want a school system that is inclusive, equitable and reflective of the diversity of our pupils. Today's resolution and recommendations will guide the work of the union in the coming years.' Read More Most teachers think schools should not prepare pupils for church sacraments, survey finds
RTÉ News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Preparation for sacraments should happen outside of classroom
An overwhelming majority of primary school teachers believe families or parishes should be responsible for preparing children for the sacraments of communion and confirmation. A survey of teachers carried out by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation has found just 4% feel the responsibility should lie with schools. The same survey found that two thirds believe primary schools should be secular as opposed to having religious patrons. 1,049 teachers responded to a detailed questionnaire that was sent by the union to a random sample of 5,000 members who are representative of the union as a whole in terms of age, gender, urban or rural and other factors. Publishing the findings, the INTO said the survey "provides a valid dataset for analysing the views and opinions of INTO members regarding religious education and school patronage". The survey findings are supported by recommendations from a taskforce that were endorsed in their entirety by INTO delegates at their annual congress in Galway yesterday. The taskforce on the future of school patronage was established at the request of delegates at last year's gathering. In the survey, 57% of respondents said religious instruction should not take place in primary schools. This rose to two thirds among teachers under the age of 44. The survey reveals a preference consistent across all age groups for schools to be run by secular patrons, with 63% favouring this option. Currently the vast majority of primary schools are run by the churches, with the Catholic Church in charge of nine out of ten primary schools here. At last year's INTO congress, members mandated the union to conduct this research and to establish the taskforce. In its recommendations the taskforce calls for an acceleration of the school divestment process; for the repeal of legislation that allows for teachers to be discriminated against on the basis of their religious or non religious beliefs; and for the union to engage with Catholic bishops to seek "a more flexible approach" to the requirement for a religious certificate to teach in Catholic schools. It also calls for the removal of sacramental preparation from the core school day. "Repealing this legislation, and the removal of sacramental preparation from schools are two of the most pressing issues for teachers and they are the most immediately achievable" said Anna Hurley, a West Cork teacher, INTO delegate, and member of the taskforce. "They can be done at no cost and they will help ensure inclusive learning and teaching environment for all pupils and teachers of all faith backgrounds and none" she said. Teaching religion 33% of survey respondents said they taught religion willingly. 20% said they would prefer if they did not have to teach religion, and an additional 19% said they would be happy to teach a broad religious programme but would prefer not to instruct in only one particular faith. An overwhelming majority of respondents (87%) indicated there are pupils attending their denominational schools who are not of the faith of the school, and almost the same level (83%) agreed that children in all schools should be taught about other religions. The survey findings and the fact that delegates adopted the recommendations of the taskforce together indicate a strong desire for modernisation and change among the primary teacher workforce. On the last day of their annual gathering, delegates in Galway will debate the issue of patronage and barriers to diversity in education here.
