Are there good reasons to continue teaching the Catholic faith in schools in Ireland?
Is it discriminatory against children of other faiths to have religious education in schools?
Parents have chosen to send their children to a Catholic school. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights notes “the freedom to found educational establishments with due respect for democratic principles and the rights of parents to ensure the education and teaching of their children in conformity with their religious, philosophical and pedagogical conviction shall be respected, in accordance with the national laws governing the exercise of such freedom and right” (art. 14).
Catholic schools in Ireland teaching the Catholic faith help to vindicate the rights of parents in this regard.
Parents choose Catholic schools because the Catholic Christian values of respect, generosity, hard work, compassion, honesty, love of God and neighbour, treating others as you would like to be treated etc. are fostered in Catholic schools, these schools are trying to follow Christ who embodied all these values and invites us to do the same.
A Catholic education provides a holistic education for the whole child – not only providing for children’s intellectual, physical, emotional and social needs but also their spiritual needs and moral formation. Catholicism teaches that God exists and that through faith and reason God has made Himself known to us. God has communicated to us through divine revelation, in a special way through the person of Jesus Christ.
Children learn the fundamentals of their Catholic faith in school (prayers, songs, stories about Jesus, Catholic beliefs etc). Catholic education links faith and life together to help create a living faith. Only by being equipped with both a knowledge of and a living experience of faith can a child make a fully informed decision in the future about what faith tradition they wish to be part of.
Catholic beliefs help to provide meaning to this life and hope is fostered in the understanding of everlasting life beyond death. No matter what difficulties are experienced in life, having a firm foundation of faith can help people through hard times.
A Catholic education provides children with the opportunity to see Jesus as their friend who is always with them and who helps them throughout their life.
Religious involvement/practice which Catholic education helps to foster, is proven to improve health outcomes. According to the Mayo clinic "most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills and health related quality of life and less anxiety, depression and suicide." See the Mayo clinic findings here.
Meditation and prayer help improve children's wellbeing and reduces stress.
Understanding Catholic beliefs helps a child develop an awareness of their cultural and religious heritage that dates back centuries, it gives them the context for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, St. Brigid’s Day, Christmas, Easter, novenas, ‘lighting a candle’ etc. It also provides an understanding of the faith and belief system of older generations in children’s lives.
Catholic schools provide one type of school patronage model, in a pluralistic culture it is important to offer school patronage choice to parents, one being a Catholic school option which teaches the Catholic faith. In 21 European countries non-governmental schools (including denominational schools) receive significant funding from the State. Around 30% of primary and secondary school pupils in Europe are receiving a Catholic education.
As part of the Grow in Love program, children learn about the belief systems of other religions.
What about children who are not Catholic, doesn't religion class exclude those of other faiths? For children not of the Catholic faith, there needs to be proper provision of faith formation/ethics classes that will take place for children of different faiths and no faith during religion time in Catholic schools. The answer to children of other faiths being “left out” is not the withdrawal of Catholic religious education from Catholic schools but the provision of faith formation for each child in their own faith tradition as well as increasing the number of schools under different patronage (previous Governments promised 400 multi and non denominational schools by 2030 - this needs to be rolled out as soon as possible to ensure real choice for parents). Religious education has traditionally taken place from 12.00pm-12.30pm in Catholic schools. Liaising with other local ministers/chaplains to come in during that time to take children of other faiths for faith formation/ethics classes needs to be rolled out as a matter of urgency. Many children receive differentiated group support in school both inside and outside the classroom and are used to participating in the curriculum at differing levels. Withdrawing children of different faith traditions together would be in keeping with this model of education. It is also to be noted that the Islamic Council of Ireland and the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland have gone on record to say that "there is no need for upheaval or revolution in the education system where they are concerned" as "Irish schools are very accommodating and Muslim students and Catholic school managements have made wonderful efforts to make their schools as inclusive as possible without losing their own ethos". Click here for the full article.
In conclusion, there are many reasons for continuing to teach the Catholic faith in Catholic schools in Ireland. Thank you for all you do to pass on this great gift of faith to the next generation.
