The Campaign

The objective of this website is to petition the Minister for Education and the Equality Authority to persuade the State to take over the running of our primary and secondary schools and teacher training colleges throughout the country and to remove denominational religious instruction from the classroom. Religious education should be replaced by an ethics course. This would entail the teaching of the tenets of the major world religions and secular world views and philosophies, with an equal emphasis on each. This could involve classroom talks given by priests, rabbis, imams etc, as well as an organised curriculum. Likewise the student should be taught the basis and arguments of secular ethics such as Humanism, Rationalism and Atheism. Such a change may require constitutional reform through a referendum if necessary. It is understood that this will not happen in the short term, but nevertheless the government must propose a credible plan towards the goal of a State run secular education system. By the State continuing to fund schools that teach the tenets of religion as actual fact, we are reducing the potential of our children to become critically thinking adults as well as propping up a regime that is fundamentally inequitable. The government could consider a number of innovative ideas in the short term, such as having religion classes at the end of the day, to allow for those who do not wish to participate, to leave without being isolated during school time. Likewise religious symbols such as the crucifix and statues should be removed from the classroom, as this is the only way to achieve religious and philosophical equality. If such symbols were to remain in the classroom, the only way to achieve equality would involve having symbols of every other religious tradition, along with atheistic symbols to appease all students and parents. Clearly the latter situation would be farcical. The Religious education programme at secondary level should be radically altered and renamed as an ethics course to allow an equal allocation of time for the teaching of all of the major world religions as well as secular world views. The current programme merely advises its students to acknowledge the secular life. Students cannot claim to have a belief in one particular world view when they have not been exposed to a critical evaluation of whatever world view they claim as their own. Such a system should rightly be viewed as indoctrination rather than education.

Is Secular Education Atheistic?

No, Secular education simply means it is neutral on matters of religious faith and other unproven ideologies. Secular education would neither promote nor deny the views of atheism or any religion for that matter. The only exception to this would be in ethics class, where students would be given an appraisal of world religions and secular world views. The major difference being, that they would be taught in the context of what different cultures and societies believe in, rather than being taught as actual fact.

Is it not discriminating against the majority Catholic population to suggest religious memorabilia should be removed from the classroom? Are their human rights not being violated?

A secular education system does not violate the human rights of any religious group as it does not promote an ethos that is anti-religious. It is simply neutral on matters of religion. The removal of religious icons from the school premises is not anti-religious; it is simply to promote an ethos that upholds the world views of minorities as being every bit equal to those of the catholic majority. Secular education systems are the norm in many western European countries and they serve the needs of culturally and religiously diverse populations. In order for such a system to discriminate against Catholics, in such a manner as the present system discriminates against other minorities, it would have to go as far as replacing Christian symbols with icons of an atheistic nature.

What can I do to help?

Sign the petition by clicking the link above. Mail all your relatives and friends and ask them to do the same. It is in the interest of teachers unions to actively promote the petition. Likewise students can spread the word to all their friends and family to get as many online signatures as we can. Similarly other interest groups, whose rights are being violated under the present system, could promote the petition on their website etc. The petition is also on facebook and twitter so please sign up and place a link on your wall.