Religious education in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner.

One of the General Principles of the European Court of Human Rights is that the State must take care that the curriculum in schools is delivered in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner. Whether you live in Finland, Poland or Ireland it is your human right to opt out your children from any Religious education that is not conveyed in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner. This human right comes under Article II of Protocol 1 (the right to education) of the European Convention. The Irish State takes no care to ensure that the curriculum in schools is delivered in an objective, crticial and pluralistic manner as it cedes control of the education system to private bodies and institutions. In Ireland those parents that seek secular education for their children are denied their human rights.

“The second sentence of Article 2 (P1-2) implies on the other hand that the State, in fulfilling the functions assumed by it in regard to education and teaching, must take care that information or knowledge included in the curriculum is conveyed in an objective, critical and pluralistic manner. The State is forbidden to pursue an aim of indoctrination that might be considered as not respecting parents’ religious and philosophical convictions. That is the limit that must not be exceeded.

Such an interpretation is consistent at one and the same time with the first sentence of Article 2 of the Protocol (P1-2), with Articles 8 to 10 (art. 8, art. 9, art. 10) of the Convention and with the general spirit of the Convention itself, an instrument designed to maintain and promote the ideals and values of a democratic society.”

http://www.humanrights.is/the-human-rights-project/humanrightscasesandmaterials/cases/regionalcases/europeancourtofhumanrights/nr/548