Ireland: Teachers want schools to be more secular, survey says

Teachers in the Republic of Ireland want a more secular approach to education, a survey of the country's largest teachers' union has found.

A survey of over 1,000 members of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) found most respondents thought schools should be run by secular bodies and should not be used for faith formation.

The findings have promoted calls from INTO and Ireland's opposition parties for a more inclusive and equitable education system.

Only 4% teachers think primary schools should prepare children for sacraments

The survey by Civica found most teachers (63%) think primary school education should have secular patrons, while 37% said they should be religious. Patrons are bodies which set up schools, define the school ethos and appoints the school's board of management.

In Ireland, most primary and post-primary schools are under church control. Eighty-nine percent of primary schools are Catholic, 6% are Church of Ireland, and 5% are multi-denominational. Catholic primary schools generally require teachers to have a Catholic Religious Education certificate.

In 2019, the percentage of multi-denominational post-primary schools (49%) exceeded Catholic schools (48%) for the first time, while Church of Ireland schools made up 3%.

Additionally, the majority (57%) of teachers surveyed said faith formation should not take place in schools, while 43% said it should.

Only 4% of teachers think preparing pupils for sacraments should be the responsibility of primary schools. Nearly half (47%) believe they should be the responsibility of the family, while 30% said the parish should be responsible.

The vast majority (83%) said children in all schools should be taught about other religions. Only 9% disagreed.

Teaching union: School system should be "reflective of the diversity of our pupils"

In response to the findings, INTO members voted on Wednesday to accelerate the divestment of schools from Catholic patronage, to call for the collection of national data on parental and community preferences, and to challenge the requirement for a religious certificate as a condition of employment in denominational schools.

INTO general secretary John Boyle said the findings reflect "a concern among teachers about the mismatch between modern Irish society and the structures governing our primary schools".

He added: "INTO members want a school system that is inclusive, equitable and reflective of the diversity of our pupils".

The findings also prompted Social Democrats and People Before Profit parliamentarians to call on the Irish Government to act on the findings.

Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins TD said the survey demonstrates "widespread support among primary school teachers for a reduced role of religion in our classrooms" and reflects "a growing consensus in Irish society that our education system must evolve to reflect the diversity of modern Ireland".

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said he would introduce a bill to repeal the laws allowing Catholic schools to bar entry to teachers without a religious certificate.

He said: "The Catholic Church runs nine out of 10 primary schools in this state. This means that non-Catholic primary school teachers are discriminated against in job applications, forced to obtain qualifications in teaching a religion they don't believe in, and then are forced to teach that religion.

"They are also exposed to an ever-present risk of discrimination, and even of losing their jobs, because of their beliefs.

"It is ludicrous that in this day and age, teachers can still be discriminated against because of their religious beliefs."

The Government of Ireland has committed to delivering 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030.

NSS: Schools should be "fully inclusive for children, families and teachers of all religions and beliefs"

NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "Despite Ireland's rapidly changing demographics, its education system is still dominated by religious control.

"As this survey reveals, teachers are increasingly opposed to the imposition of religion in schools, and want to see a more secular approach.

"We hope the Government of Ireland will respond to these findings and the urgent need to make Ireland's schools fully inclusive for children, families and teachers of all religions and beliefs.

"And we hope Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK follow suit."