Mags Gargan
The Bishop of Waterford & Lismore has accused the Minister for Education & Skills of attempting to secularise the national school education system and to create a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model of school.
Bishop Phonsie Cullinan also insisted that it is not true that Catholic schools are unreflective of a diverse society.
He was reacting to the announcement by Minister Jan O’Sullivan of plans to remove two of the Rules for National Schools which emphasise the importance of religious instruction. Rule 68 states that “of all parts of the school curriculum, religious instruction is by far the most important” and Rule 69 states that the religion of each child should be ascertained from the parent.
“The minister has claimed that Rule 68 does not speak to ‘the diverse and welcoming nature of our modern school system’,” Bishop Cullinan wrote in a letter to The Irish Catholic. “This is not the case. Go into any parish school and you will see children of all colours, ethnic groups and religions.”
Ethos
He said the Chief Inspector’s report for 2010-2012 found that 96% of primary schools cultivate “an inclusive, child-centred ethos”.
The bishop said the current national school system in Ireland “is clearly working” and should be credited for producing “highly well-educated young people”. He said the “real issue”, particularly in large centres of population, is oversubscription and “the fact is that there are not enough school places”.
“There is a case for transferring patronage of some schools, so that parents’ rights as the primary educators of their children can be honoured. But in practice this is extremely difficult because of local opposition. Most people simply want their local parish school to remain the same,” Bishop Cullinan said.
In the letter he asks if the Minister for Education is “attempting to develop a one-size-fits-all type of school in the education of young people and thereby promoting a secular philosophy of education?”
