Women in the Home Referendum will likely be held next year, Minister says

That’s all well and good Joan, that is not the normal policy at most Catholic schools. This problem has been going on for years. My parents help set up a multi-denominational school over 30 years ago due to the lack of an option to have myself and my brother educated outside of the Catholic faith. This man is not even requesting entry to a non/multi-denominational school (as I will be) but on entrance to ANY school. I am disgusted by the hate-filled racist comments here. If it helps all the biggoted people there are plenty of white Irish people in the same position, including many of my friends. There was a March held a couple of weeks ago and an Irish woman (that’s a white ex-Catholic for all of you who seem to care so much) who’s daughter was turned away from 9 schools last year and is on the list for 15 this year and still may not secure a place, and again has been told it is because she is not babtised. I know of only one person of my age who regularly attends mass, yet the majority (though thankfully dropping) of my friends babtise their children, explicitly stating it is for school entry. My tax pays for schools, my child should not be discriminated against because of their religion or lack of religion. I should not have to fight for access to education just because I am not Catholic. It is so messed up. I am delighted this issue is finally getting the attention it deserves. and for the record, I’m pretty sure it’s free to start a social media campaign – time and dedication is all that required to man a Facebook page, and well done to all of those that are doing so.

Same in our local schools , Joan.

It’s seems to me there is a lack of school places in certain very populated areas and that is the main issue here. Don’t blame the schools here. Blame the Minister for Education

They are Irish Citizens.

I call B.S. on you Suzie

Nice Brendan. Ireland for the RC, white Irish only, right.

Xenophobic much?

Anyone else a bit hesitant about this anonymous user account playing the school staff card!.. I want all this selection policy centralised by the department and where it’s a across the state how children get admitted.

Call what you want Richard ,what I’ve said is true regarding our local schools .

Blatthnaid….scare monger much. Not once did he say that everyone should change their religion to suit him.

Nira….. And the RC church for decades covered up widespread abuse of children and still they are allowed to run our schools. Amazingly!

So Joan if you had 2 candidates of equal status applying for one position at a catholic school, one baptised and one not. What is the criteria for selection?

Religion isn’t a race Stephen. There are plenty of unbaptised Irish kids also who have the potential to be descriminated against like this guy.s daughter.

Exactly Jason. Would we put up with having to go to Catholic or Protestant hospitals, absolutely not. Schools that are funded by the state should not discriminate based on religion. If a school is over subscribed then some other method needs to be devised to ensure fair enrollment. The fact that a child of four or five is baptised or not should never be a factor.

@Suzie – Richard never has anything to say other than disparage the comments of others not in alignment with his liberal worldview.

Hmmm have the anti marriage equality brigade found a new hobby horse?

This is their country.

Joan, some schools have a first come, first served policy or one based on catchment area and/or age, but many many schools have enrolment policies that prioritise children who are baptised. My son was rejected from three schools for this reason.

joan that school must be an exception as it’s common knowledge and schools don’t deny giving places to Catholic kids first

Nevermind about religion of the person, there are many Irish people who cannot find places for their children, in the land their Irish ancestors died for….and they say multiculturalism is all great with no increased competition for places in jobs, schools, universities, hospital beds, health services……welcome to reality

Another media and multicult agenda halapanaavar hyped halapulavar, complete with heart-string emotional blackmail photo of child that none of us can dare refuse. Well no, I am going to think about all the Irish kids who are going hungry or homeless or have no Mom or Dad and cannot get schooling etc. And no I don’t consider people who got our confetti citizenship through an illegal sovereignty violation policy of mass-immigration, as citizens. In any event simply becoming a citizen legally or not, does not make you an Irish person, that takes western European blood.

The dude , I know , that’s all he does .

Sinead, it is trite to say blame the Minister for Education. The Minister does not live in a dictatorship and has to deal with the constitutional rights afforded to religions as well as the rights afforded to property. I also suspect that if the Minister took the line you might like he would be lambasted and would face massive public opposition. What this case demonstrates is that we need a real national debate about the choice available to us in our schooling system which is overwhelmingly funded by the State. For the record I support multi-denominational schools and the availability of choice including non-denominational schools. My point is that simply blaming politicians for every ill allows us all to ignore the mote in our own eye which seems to be an Irish pastime. Our school system is the way it is because that is the way we wanted it historically. How many Irish people have really changed their minds about denominational education and absence of choice? I would favour a first come first served policy irrespective of religion. I guarantee you that the RC Church would hand over some schools to the State or community very quickly indeed if that was enforced.

If you make unfounded comments or can’t back them up I’m very happy to call it out Suzie & The Dude,unfortunately both of you have a high propensity for both.

I wonder when we’ll have to have segregated PE classes!? Anybody know when that is going to happen? And segregated swimming classes presumably (where presumably also only a female teacher/and swimming instructor will be allowed in attendance). Ali Selim…one of the movers behind this push to allow Muslims and other religions into Catholic/state schools ‘suggests there is “a clash of values”… between Islam and “traditional ways of teaching PE”. In some schools, “under the guise of health and safety, Muslim girls are obliged to take off their headscarves for PE classes, which is not acceptable to them”. Where schools were “persistent”, they should “employ a female PE teacher and provide students with a sports hall not accessible to men during times when girls are at play. They should also not be visible to men while at play.” Also, Muslim girls would resist changing clothes in a communal area. When it came to music some Muslims would see it as prohibited but “if music is performed using non-tuneable percussion instruments such as drums, most Muslims will have no problem”….so no fiddles, guitars and pianos….On school plays Dr Selim points out that “physical contact between members of the opposite sex who can be legally married is forbidden in Islam” and that “gender role-reversal is not permissible”. Oh and school raffles will also be out soon “any form of raffle is strictly forbidden in Islam”’
The government have, in my opinion, opened a can of worms. How are we going to cater for a religion or other religions that fundamentally believe in living life differently to how most Irish people want to live life? I wouldn’t want lots of young girls/boys to be schooled in this kind of environment or be influenced by it in any way.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/call-for-state-schools-to-accommodate-islamic-beliefs-1.1915810

@eireblood you are one screwed up sick muppet.

Well Joan, your one school not having that policy proves nothing – perhaps they were not a very popular and over-subscribed school. The fact that you can ascertain by looking at admissions policies online of schools is that very many DO have that policy. I know many parents who cannot get a school place in any school for their child within a five-mile radius simply because their child is not baptised. That is a fact. Children who are baptised from outside the area are higher in the criteria. These are 100% state funded schools. That is not OK.

Some facts for the uneducated:

Despite the nasty racism shown here (none of ye are Christians obviously), this is not a minority issue at all. Irish citizens want access to our 100% state-funded local religious schools because there is no other choice, because 96% are controlled by religious organisations.

A majority of Irish citizens want non-religious patrons for their children’s schools – this is not a minority issue. This includes the many Catholic parents who do not want their children segregated by their religion – ET schools have Catholic parents too you know! Here’s the link to info on those reputable surveys – by the Irish Primary School Principals Network and others – one even by the Iona Institute found that a majority of Irish people want non-religious patrons for schools!!! http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/how-uganda-was-seduced-by-anti-gay-conservative-evangelicals-9193593.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/how-uganda-was-seduced-by-anti-gay-conservative-evangelicals-9193593.html (Page 42)

The archbishop has said that he agrees around half of current state-funded schools run by the RCC should be divested and there is an agreement that buildings will be handed over. Why do we all morally own those buildings and have a right to them? Because the state has paid 100% for their maintenance, refurbishment and often re-building to the tune of billions, while they have remained the assets of the religious orders that legally own them. In addition, the church owes over a billion to the state for its share of compensation for abuse by its staff – they have still not paid it so we are all picking up that tab. Finally, our parents all paid for those buildings, which morally belong to the community. So the state has the moral right to have some of these buildings for the large number of citizens who want schools with non-religious patrons. Progress has been slower than has been agreed between church and state – so the state must take serious action now.

Apologies – wrong links there – but that link is a good read too – shows that religious bigotry is not restricted to ‘other’ religions:
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/majority-prefers-schools-not-run-by-church-1.511289
https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Conferences/Patronage-and-Pluralism-in-the-Primary-Sector/The-Forum-on-Patronage-and-Pluralism-in-the-Primary-Sector-Report-of-the-Forums-Advisory-Group.pdf (Page 42)

What was the school Joan, and can we see their admissions policy online?

You have an enlightened principal who tool it out of your school’s enrolment policy. But your principal decided to do that, it wasn’t supported by law.

She on the other foot!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Being catholic in India…..

Growing up in Calcutta, I went to a good convent school–arguablyone of the best in the city–where morning Assembly was held at 7:45 sharp. While rows of us girls sang “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me,” I would start to squirm as I caught the eye of a Hinduclassmate, one of my closest friends.

I steeled myself for her angry post-Assembly outburst against all”your” stupid Jesus songs. She said “your” because I am Catholic–but not astraightforward unapologetic Catholic with a name like Patty Egan or AnnaRodriguez.

Instead, I am something more complex: My father is Hindu, a BengaliBrahmin. My mother is a South Indian Catholic. My first name, Rupali, isvery Indian, very Bengali, just like my surname, Ghosh. But sandwichedbetween all this traditional Hinduism was the hateful baptismal name I went by–Rachel–which sounded absurd to my Hindu friends. I was raisedCatholic, and my name told everyone I was different.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Hinduism/2000/11/Confessions-Of-A-Hindu-Catholic-Schoolgirl.aspx

Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Hinduism/2000/11/Confessions-Of-A-Hindu-Catholic-Schoolgirl.aspx#eb0v0SqdC7iYOL8k.99

Pifft……….

I don’t know where Joan’s school is Little Diddy No, but, I do know that the ns school both my boys attended didn’t discriminate on the basis of religion – if places were freely available. However certain priority policies did kick in if there was an over subscription for places. The following is taken from the schools admission policy document: Enrolment Criteria Junior Infant Standard In the event that applications for enrolment in Junior Infant Standard exceed the number of places available the following enrolment criteria will apply:-  Child of current staff member who is in permanent and pensionable employment. Priority to oldest.  Sisters and/or brothers of pupils currently in the school. Priority to oldest.  Catholic children living within the parish boundary. Priority to oldest.  Child of a parent who had a previous child enrolled in the school. Priority to oldest.  Child of a previous past pupil. Priority to oldest.  The oldest child on the list of applicants left. Basically, where there is a shortage of places then a child who is a baptised catholic they get priority after the teachers kids

Schools have different enrolment policies Joan-many religious schools do place baptism requirement first.

Blaithnaidi1986, stop making problems for your daughter.
What religion would you like other children to change to?

Derek, you are very anxious for a catholic school for your son if you went to three looking for a place for him.

Nothing wrong with India. Why do they need Irish citizenship for? Benefits Benefits Benefits. I hope he doesn’t see a cow being milked in the Ireland. Oh they might be running away from being raped.

Eire blood -you are a pathetic person who was deprived of love as a child and has continued to fail at everything in life. Welcome to reality

Bollox!! There’s families up and down the country struggling to get a place in school for their kids due to limited places. If it’s not the race card why mention race or religion in the story? It’s typical of the bs PC world we live in. If it were a 5 yr old white kid this story never makes the news, face facts. Every child is born an atheist? Or did you choose your child becomes an atheist because you are? Isn’t atheism itself a form of religion? Just like paganism? Oh you hypocrite. Come out from that rock you’re under, put a real name to your profile, a real picture and then maybe we can have a real conversation, you’re just another keyboard warrior.

What an absolutely stupid comment, myself and my wife are starting a family soon and as neither of us are religious we don’t want to christen our child. Several friends said ‘ah you should just do it so they can get into a decent school’. None of these guys were religious themselves and just saw it as a way to have less hassle in future. A child doesn’t have a religion, they’ve no concept of one other than what their parents have thought or told them so to discriminate based on this is ridiculous

Where was race mentioned in the story? And what has religion got to do with race? You’re not the brightest are you?

Atheism is not a religion. I can’t converse with you, it actually pains me to talk to someone who talks out their ass.

Honestly one of the stupidest comments I’ve seen on the Journal Stephen and thats saying a lot. The guy was told that his child is on the bottom of a waiting list as she is not catholic. That is discrimination based on religion, the guys not playing the race card he’s disgusted (and rightly so) that any place of education could put one child above another based on them not being a certain religion.

A child deserves the right to be educated no matter what religion.

Says your man walking around with a brown paper bag on his head pretending to be a gangster, will ya fcuk off, will u ffs.

@stephen I’d stop now if I was you, youve even made to look the complete idiot and totally PWNED

You’re going on his word? Where’s the proof? I love how all the sheeple come together and follow the herd.

If an Irish dad would take the time to organise a rally and get this on the agenda somewhere, it would get media attention too so your comment is full of s h * t e Stephen.
Blame The Journal for playing the ‘race card’ as they are putting this item like this on the Internet.

Yep “Paul Wallace”, another bs profile of someone pretending to be someone they’re not, yet another keyboard warrior hiding in the WWW. Why can’t people be brave enough to be commenting as themselves? It’s so easy to hide behind a false persona and throw comments out, do it as the “real” you, then maybe I’d give you an iota of respect. But of course that won’t happen. The Brad Paisley song “Online” comes to mind for so many on here.

Think you’ll find its religious sheeple who follow the herd. The rest of us can think for ourselves. You’ve made yourself look a right fool this morning Stephen. It’s better to be thought a fool and keep your mouth shut than to open it and remove all doubt.

@ Stephen “you’re going on his word”….

Cut the hypocritical BS. You took Joan’s comment above as gospel, because it supported your stance on the topic.

Moronic stuff.

You’re walking around with a brown paper bag on your head, pretending to hold a gun under a black plastic bag, wearing a HD tshirt and drinking a can of cheap lager. Are you for real? Jaysus Christ of almighty, the world has gone mad, the lunatics have finally taken over the asylum.

*not be forced

This problems effects thousands of Irish children too. At the end of the day, parents should be ‘forced’ into baptising their child just so they can get a place in the local school. To think this goes on in 2015 is outrageous. Can you imagine if Catholics up North had to baptise their children as protestants in order to get them the best education? People would be up in arms. Why is this any different?

Her explanation seems far more plausible and honest. Show me letters from the schools or arch diocese, emails, texts or any written communication. Until then it’s hearsay, unfounded and IMO whether you like it or not, stinking of “poor minority little me”. Go try this BS as a Christian in India or Saudi Arabia and see the response you’d get.

“Isn’t atheism a form of religion” – Stephen Duggan, what a guy

No reply to my comments Stephen? Given that I’ve no paper bag on my head and no fake name I thought i’d actually get a reply but as you’re making fcuk all sense here in almost every comment I think that says it all. A complete moron.

Can you imagine if Catholics up North had to baptise their children as protestants in order to get them the best education? People would be up in arms. Why is this any different?
Exactly Beano, great comment

@ Stephen – I reckon you could be right. I doubt that non catholic or non white children are being denied places in schools all the time, right across the country. Its probably more true there are both catholic and non catholic being denied places because of resource constraints. The race card does often get played its a fact and sometimes its true and sometimes it isnt.

Why would you want your catholic kids going to a protestant school? You send them to a Catholic school. In the UK you have to be catholic to attend a Catholic school.

it’s a Catholic country, so we have a majority of Catholic schools, it’s obvious Catholics get places first, I don’t know why he’s shocked

2015 Ireland. An absolute disgrace.

Stephen – actually it happened to my children who were refused from both Catholic and church if Ireland schools on the basis they were not baptised. The criteria for the Catholic schools was pretty much as follows: 1. Catholic children from the parish; 2. Catholic children from outside of the parish; 3. Church of Ireland children from the parish; 4. Church of Ireland children from outside of the parish; 5. Children of other faiths; 6. Children of no faith.
I am sorry to burst your bubble, but this state sponsored discrimination is taking place today with my atheist taxes.

my child is not going to get a place before a Muslim in a Muslim school now is he?

@Paul Do people still say “PWNED” nowadays? That’s so 2008. :-)

I’ll give you a reply, where’s the proof? Show me any solid proof only the word of the father. That’s the thing isn’t it, there’s none. If, and it’s a big “if” there’s written proof of the denials, then he maybe has a case, until then as far as I’m concerned it’s the “race card”. I don’t care whether you or anyone else likes that, it’s far too prevalent today in Irish society, and I for one am fed up with it.

Same boat Anthony.. wer supposed to be one of these “progressive modern countires” wer voting on Marraige equality yet we can’t get a child into a school in a local area, I only commented on this the other day looking for an irish speaking school to send my child, like that I was raised Catholic, my husband wasn’t, neither of us practice religion, we don’t go to mass, I believe meself religion is the root of all evil on this planet, personally meself I won’t be a hypocrite, however the 6/7 schools within the locality are all Catholic schools and chances are my child be left to the bottom of the list cause it didn’t have any water put on its head, yet like the rest of the kids who wud be attending it’s class won’t have stepped foot inside a church since the day that water went on its head… parents put their kids into these schools relying on the school to teach them religion I’d say 5% of them practice the religion with Sunday mass as a family, the other 95% are happy to leave it to the school, they won’t attend mass with their child but bring on the communion/confirmation day and it’s a whole different ball game… How are u a part of a church u don’t even attend? Be it with ur kids an family or on ur own? Only showing up on “special occassions” doesn’t make u a Catholic. It suits parents to send kids to a Catholic school cause the religious teaching is done for them there. It’s not a family thing the way it used to be. And that’s exactly what prevents the large majority of the ever growing non religious population now being prevented from educating their kids in good local schools.

Stephen – it happened to my children and I am not hiding behind a veil of anonynimity.
Shane – where are all these Muslim schools? Why not apply and see.

Is it discrimination or freedom of assosiation?

It is the responsibility of the government to provide for schooling needs and not for for faith schools to bend to the prejudices of those that would enforce conformity.

Donna, that’s not entirely correct. Any Catholic Schools which are funded by the local council are open to all faiths, something which should be the case in state funded schools here but isn’t .

The problem here is over subscription there isn’t enough places in the local school to take every child regardless of religion. We need more places in schools but the fact of the matter is this actually only happens in roughly 20% of our schools nationwide where there is a shortage of spaces.

clonskeagh, and northern Dublin Muslim school, there maybe be more, I’m sure there is, , but my son would not get a place before a Muslim simple as that and understandable

Stephen thinks everyone is “hiding” behind a fake profile, more like he didn’t expect most people to completely destroy his stupid argument.

Shane – apply and see. However, they will probably discriminate against you using the same way, which is also wrong. The people arguing on here are not just against Catholic schools, but the fact they control over 90% of schools their discrimination is far more prevalent.

Moronic comment. Do you even understand the concept of an admissions policy? If you don’t sign a register and swear to believe in your fascist bullyboy imaginary friend, and specifically how his ineffable wishes are interpreted by some old man in Rome, you are put at the bottom of the list for a place in most state-funded schools. How is that a ‘race card’ issue?

I’m another parent in the same situation as you Johnny. These racist commentators on this article are truly sickening. I refuse to indoctrinate my children just to get them into a school.

So Stephen, let me get this right. You believe some random post on a Internet forum as plausible, but think this guy’s story is implausible because you don’t have tangible proof?

Hmmmm, maybe in your funny view of the world that makes sense.

Joyce just so you know when a child is baptised nothing actually happens they get a bit of water on the head they don’t suddenly become devout catholics in an instant.

If these were fully private fee paying schools then nobody would care but these are schools that are funded or at the very least heavily subsidised by the state (i.e. the taxpayer). So you have a situation where the children of taxpayers are refused entry to their local school part funded by their parents because of their religion. It’s a disgrace.

Yes Stephen you’re right. The other comments are so full of cr*p cant be bothered to comment. When they get rid of RC schools the loonies will find something else to be offended about.

Breaking news Catholics (90% of population) pay taxes too!!

It’s not racism, it’s sectarianism.

With all due respect, even I know searching months just isn’t good enough. I know of many parents who get a child’s name down before they turn 1 otherwise your not getting a place.

It’s freedom of assosiation Daisy. I know the illiberal liberal homogenists don’t like that. But that’s just bigotry.

Stephen I am a white Irish man born and raised within two miles of four primary schools. We are non religious because we simply have more cop on than that. We have been told that we probably won’t get a place in two of the schools because of this. I cannot see how you think this is a race card, it’s a matter of religious discrimination. Maybe you simply don’t know what your talking bout, im not sure you really get you’re own point

“Catholics (90% of population)”. Wow, not long ago it was 85%. Where do you get your stats?

Nope, paganism is a religion. Atheism isn’t. It’s just a term for being non religious. Wouldn’t expect you to understand such a complicated concept though. Maybe ask the omnipotent supernatural entity they teach you about in state funded schools to explain it to you

That’s the perfect example, well said!
It’s astounding, that in 2015, we are STILL discriminating over religion in this country, and it’s embarrassing and enraging that the Catholic Church still holds so much power here are after everything!
It’s nothing to do with race Stephen, it’s religious bias, pure and simple!

Read the story and knew it wouldn’t take long before some moron made a total fool of himself in the comments section. But Stephen Duggan surpasses that with possibly the most brain dead comment I’ve ever seen in here, and that’s saying something. Whatever school you went to you clearly didn’t get a proper education, you thick moron.

I’d always call out people playing the race card or PC nonsense but this has nothing to do with that. The fact that we are in the year 2015 and people are debating about kids not getting school places because they haven’t been baptised shows how much this country still has to go.

Theo,

Freedom of association is fine IF they were private schools, funded by the church or parents. The fact is, though, that they’re publicly funded schools (staff wages, running costs etc. paid for by the state), which makes your point moot. Anything publicly funded should not discriminate based on religion.

Stephen, you may be right. If it was a white kid maybe it wouldn’t make the news. Although I’ve been interviewed by journalists a number of times, my son’s story has never got this level of coverage. He’s as lily-white as I am and was rejected from a number of schools because they practise exactly this sort of policy.
It is of course the case that non-whites are more likely to be victims of this discrimination, as they’re less likely to be even nominally Catholic, but rest assured, plenty of white Irish people are also being discriminated against.

Atheism is a form of religion ??

Are you honestly joking !

Atheism isn’t a religion, but atheists act like it’s a Fundamentalist one. They evengelize, they think they’re right and everyone else is wrong, they believe they’re the Englightened ones etc.
Of course, not all atheists are like that, but enough to make these traits noticeable.

The state demands that children be handed over every day Chris Judge to be schooled if they are not being home educated. It is therefore the state’s responsibility to fund it and to comply with the ECHR regarding freedom of association. It is not discrimination.

Breaking news! Catholics NOT 90% of the population. All recent reputable polls show this is not the case! Breaking news! Children of Catholic parents a large component of the children in Educate Together schools – not all religious people want religious segregation in schools! Breaking news! Many polls – including by the Iona Institute and the Irish Primary Schools Principals Network – show a majority of Irish citizens want non-religious patrons for their children’s schools!

Nobody is asking for atheist schools. Nobody.

Yes, I was brought up by Catholics, I’m aware of this. What actually happens is that this belief that Ireland is still a Catholic country is propagated, hence the misguided belief that we need Catholic schools. A lot of parents christen their kids because they think it’s just what’s done. There’s no true belief behind it in a lot of cases.

Look up any admissions policy you want. Many ask for a baptismal cert on enrolment. No baptismal policy, no make on the list. There’s your proof, in the public documentation

True. But you have other choices. You have many schools to choose from. The Muslim school isn’t the only school in your community, like the catholic school is the only school in the community for many, especially in rural areas.

He was told he would go to the bottom of the list again for the following year, since his daughter is not baptised. This movement is made up of many parents who put their children’s names down before age 1 but still could not get a place because their children were bottom of the priorities list of every school within five miles of where they lived. That is not fair in a fully state-funded education system.

Theo, in what other 100% state-funded public service do you also want hegemony and the service to put unbaptised children at the bottom of the list? Do you want ‘freedom of association’ with Catholics only in hospitals, universities, libraries – what about the National Maternity Hospital? The Archbishop is the patron of it, even though the whole shebang is 100% funded and managed by the state. Perhaps you would like unborn babies who are not going to be baptised to go to the bottom of the list there too? Do tell us so we can arrange it for you.

Theo, the state demands that non-religious children also be educated by law. Where are our children to go? Are you really talking about THIS when you say that Catholic children having to mix with non-Catholic children in our state education system goes against their right to ‘freedom of association’???!!! Seriously?
“Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights protects the right to freedom of assembly and association, including the right to form trade unions, subject to certain restrictions that are “in accordance with law” and “necessary in a democratic society”

Stephen..I hardly believe this needs clarifying, but no, atheism is not a form of religion.

Surely education is the business of the state and religion should be the private business of individuals and their church.

Poor Stephen took one hell of a beating

Deservedly so for someone stupid enough to claim that atheism is a form of religion!

Moron!

Fair point , lobbying the government for some educate together schools would deal with the ever increasing number of “no-religion families”. I do feel it’s not the schools fault, they are catholic schools , they were built as Catholic
institutions many years ago before the no-religion famies were few and far between

I can’t work out if Stephen is more stupid than he he is racist, or more racist than he is stupid.

@Stephen Duggar You don’t understand the issue at all. And you definitely don’t understand what atheism is. Can’t you even read the article?

If they don’t like the education system in Ireland, why don’t they go back to India?

A little more than a year since Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist BJP swept to power in India, there are fears that religiously motivated violence may be on the rise. Some say the BJP has bred a culture of intolerance towards minorities that has left even Hindus nervous of speaking out.
Just before Christmas the church of St Sebastian in Delhi was gutted by fire – one of five churches in the capital to have been attacked in the past year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33241100

Here we go again, importing problems!

Shane, Muslim schools in Ireland are not government funded.
Government funded schools should not be allowed pick and choose based on the religion of those in power, regardless of that religion.

@Aoife, Muslim Irish schools are government funded actually.

The problem here is over subscription there isn’t enough places in the local school to take every child regardless of religion. We need more places in schools but the fact of the matter is this actually only happens in roughly 20% of our schools nationwide where there is a shortage of spaces

The problem is discrimination, simple. It is about the church getting to indoctrinate kids from a very young age, the places argument is a related, but separate issue. Hospitals are overcrowded, but should they treat Catholics before other faiths? Deliver babies of Catholic mothers before Jewish mothers?

This actually isn’t a big problem as I pointed out it effects approximately 20% of schools that have a shortage of places mostly in south Dublin. When schools are over subscribed then somebodys child has to miss out on a spot and it wouldnt make sense for a Hindu to get a spot in a Catholic school ahead of a local Catholic kid. If someone’s kid has to lose out they’re going to have to be rejected on some grounds whether it’s religion, height, weight, proximity to school so either way someone loses. The problem here is not enough school places as opposed to religion.