Teachers must draw a clear line between their professional role as educators and as advocates for specific causes, writes Sandra Adams A recent Irish Times article by teacher Conor Murphy presents itself as a defence of empathy in education. In practice, however, it reads as an uncritical endorsement of a worldview that downplays the significance…

What would you do to protect a child from harm? For most people, the answer is simple: anything, at least anything lawful. It is therefore unsurprising that when asked whether they would support banning under-16s from accessing social media, 76% of respondents in a recent Irish Times survey said yes. The instinct is understandable. However,…

Dublin Zoo found itself in hot water last week following the launch of its ‘All Things Irish Takeover’ campaign to celebrate Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day. The source of the controversy was Dublin Zoo’s decision to feature a male drag artist in their Mother’s Day promotion. The image of a bearded man in a…

January 2026 could hardly be described as a slow news month. With no shortage of major international and domestic stories competing for attention, The Irish Times’ decision to give front-page prominence to an article about a ‘rights guide’ was striking. The headline stated that the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) claimed schools “must” use…

Last month the Department of Education and Youth launched a primary school survey to inform future school planning. One of its stated aims is to establish whether there is sufficient demand to transfer Catholic schools to other patron bodies. In such cases, the building and staff remain, but the controlling authority, governing the school’s ethos…