Dail to debate Objective Sex Education Report this Thursday
This Thursday the Dail will be debating the Oireachtas Education Committee Report on Objective Sex Education, which was published last January. Please contact your TDs between now and Thursday to ask them to speak on the issue in the Dail debate, and to support the recommendations of the Report. The ...
Atheist Ireland calls for ethical secularism at meeting with Taoiseach and Government
Michael Nugent and Jane Donnelly of Atheist Ireland are today calling for an ethical secular State at a meeting of the Dialogue Process between the Taoiseach, the Government, Churches, and Non-confessional Bodies, in Dublin Castle. The meeting is addressing three themes: Effective Structured Dialogue, Inclusive and Diverse Communities, and Education. ...
How parents stopped Castleknock Educate Together school using Catholic agency Accord to deliver sex education
Guest post by Graeme Carter, of the parents' group No Accord in Educate Together As of Friday 7th June, the Catholic charity agency Accord will no longer be delivering the Relationship and Sex Education curriculum in Castleknock Educate Together National School. The school’s announcement of this fact was a pleasant ...
Community National Schools oblige children to respect Catholic codes of sexual conduct
The Irish state, through the Community National Schools (GMGY course), requires children to demonstrate respect for codes of sexual conduct based on Catholic religious beliefs reflected in our 1937 Constitution and laws. Many people have for years been engaged in challenging those laws and Articles in our Constitution, because we ...
Atheist Ireland asks NCCA to respect human rights in Review of Sex Education
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is reviewing Relationships and Sexuality Education in primary and post-primary schools. Atheist Ireland has made the following submission to the review. Please feel free to incorporate our arguments into your own submission if you are making one. Atheist Ireland Submission to the ...
If religion should not determine health and social policy, it should not determine education policy either
In a recent tweet the Minister for Health, Simon Harris has said that “Religion plays an important role for many on an individual basis - but it will not determine health and social policy in our country any more. Please get that.” Please just make it stop! Increasing access to ...
Objective Sex Education is being blocked by an ideology that “School is the new Church”
In this Republic successive governments have put the rights of religious bodies over the rights of children and their parents. It seems at this stage that nothing is going to change, as this government will not give support to Solidarity’s Objective Sex Education Bill. This is not just about the ...
Atheist Ireland asks Oireachtas Committee for objective sex education without religious ethos
Jane Donnelly, Human Rights Officer of Atheist Ireland, yesterday gave evidence to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education about the need for objective sex education. Jane is pictured above with Cliona Saidlear of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Aoife Neary of University of Limerick, and Debbie Ging of DCU, who also ...
Atheist Ireland asks Oireachtas Education Committee to support objective sex education
Atheist Ireland has made a comprehensive submission to the Oireachtas Education Committee, asking it to support objective sex education in Irish schools, based on the framework of Solidarity's Objective Sex Education Bill. You can read Atheist Ireland's submission here. Our four recommendations to the Oireachtas Education Committee are: 1. Objective ...
Atheist Ireland delighted at passing of Solidarity’s Objective Sex Education Bill
Atheist Ireland is delighted that Solidarity’s Objective Sex Education Bill has passed its first vote today in the Dail. It will now go on to be debated at Committee stage. Along with our allies in other groups who support this Bill, we will now lobby members of the Oireachtas Education ...