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    23 Kommentare

    1. >send child to religious school

      >complain about child receiving religious education

    2. Why is it either single-denominational or multi-denominational? Can it not be non-denominational?

      >Children in multi-denominational schools learn about all faiths and belief systems as part of the school day.

      What if I don’t want my child to learn about faiths and belief systems at all?

    3. Affectionate_Art4277 on

      There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a Catholic school teaching Catholic ethos

      There is also nothing wrong with parents wanting their child to go to a school without a Religious ethos or denomination

      I still believe Religion has a purpose in schools. If only to help kids better understand the world and it’s many cultures and traditions, and not necessarily as something to believe in

    4. > the nearest multi-denominational school… is in a town a 15-minute drive away.

      Wow, 15 whole minutes? 

    5. Few_Photograph_8921 on

      I don’t know how much of a difference it makes. Like most of us I went to a Catholic primary & secondary school, as did all of my family, and despite that, I don’t now nor have I ever believed in any god.

      I don’t think it that environment did me any harm though, there are certain virtues that are worth praising, like don’t steal, love thy neighbour etc. I think it was probably good for me to be in a situation where these moral values were put on a pedestal, even if it was in a religious setting.

      My point being I don’t think sending your kids to a Catholic school would really have much of an influence on whether or not they become devout Christians, I think that family & home environment is far more influential there.

    6. Sad-Orange-5983 on

      Lots of people seem to think that only non-Catholics can get exemptions from religion in school. But that’s not the case, anyone can get exempt.

      I’m Catholic and I was able to get an exemption from religion in secondary school no problem. Confused the hell out of others in my class lol.

    7. Weve been looking at schools in recent months and mentioned opting out of religion. The Catholic schools had no issues at all with it, our local protestant school however were not impressed, we were told that the prayers are lovely and that Catholicism and protestantism are the same really (the school presumed we were catholic because im irish)

    8. Spiritual-Point-1965 on

      If only there were other countries in the world who have already grappled with these problems. We would be able to look at their solutions and adapt them to an Irish context.

      As per usual, though, per the Dept and most of the posters here, this is completely unique, has never happened anywhere else in the world at any point in history, and requires a bespoke solution in, I dunno, 75 years time or something.

    9. I almost couldn’t start school in my primary school cause I was never baptised. My parents told me they had to essentially beg them to let me in.

    10. Decent schools aren’t fussed by accommodating families at all. My LO is starting in September and has additional needs so I asked could her regulation and support time possibly be during religion as she’s not baptised and won’t be participating in the sacraments. Principal seemed happy enough to try plan around it and didn’t ask for anything in writing.

      Unfortunately it can’t be completely avoided in the Catholic ethos schools as they simply don’t have the resources for it. It’s very much a Dep of Ed issue that needs to be addressed nationally, and most schools are very accommodating and trying their best to make it fair for everyone.

    11. anotherlemontree on

      I’m about to send my daughter to school in September and I’m concerned about how opting out will work.

      I went to a multi-denominational school and was not raised Catholic. My husband went to a Catholic school and his family are religious.

      We live in a rural area so our options are limited. We’re sending our daughter to a Catholic school and opting her out of religion classes. We went to the school open day recently and the religious ethos was immediately obvious to me through the children’s artwork displayed on the walls (lots of shepherds and sheep, first holy communion stuff, etc). Nothing wrong with that, that’s the ethos, no problem there. It was sweet. But what struck me when talking to my husband was that he didn’t even see it – it’s just like background noise to him.

      Likewise, when I asked the principal how opting out would work, he was a bit loosey goosey – it was all a bit “ah sure we won’t make her sit out in the hall, it’ll all be grand, and sure isn’t it all the same now anyway”. I didn’t love it because I’d prefer clearer boundaries around what is and is not religious instruction, so my daughter doesn’t get confused. It concerns me that, like my husband, many of the educators may not even really notice when something is religious, because they’re just so used to it.

    12. conservadordegrasas on

      Why would you send your children to a Catholic school if you don’t want your child to be taught religion? This is nothing more than subversion, plain and simple.

    13. Upbeat_Platypus1833 on

      Why are schools still under religious patronage? Even new schools that are 100% paid for by the tax payer on land acquired by the tax payer are then handed over to the church to run. Make this make sense in 2026?

    14. The-Squirrelk on

      I was in primary in rural Tipperary over a decade ago and had no problem being opted out of religion.

      It was a catholic boys school too, so hard to say how prevalent this problem is.

    15. Death-N-Destruction on

      When will people learn that religion is one of the reasons people die globally for hundreds of years. Forcing it unto children is like forcing one’s opinion over others.

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