Greg DalyExperts in religious education have challenged claims that the quality of the subject in Irish schools needs closer scrutiny, pointing out that an article arguing this admits that there is a lack of serious research on the subject.
‘Religion, Education, and Religious Education in Irish Schools’, by UCC professors Áine Hyland and Brian Bocking, recognises that “there are undoubtedly some well-informed, gifted, innovative, and inspirational teachers involved in RE” but says that “many pupils and some teachers will describe RE as a ‘doss’ subject”.
The article in the latest issue of Teaching Theology and Religion admits, however, that “an in-depth, nationwide study of classroom practice in RE in today’s Ireland has yet to be conducted”, and cites no statistical evidence for its claims about students’ attitudes to the subject.
Dr Dan O’Connell of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick told The Irish Catholic that recent research by the ESRI has found that primary school students enjoy religious education and that he is “just not sure if the research is there” to claim that students at second-level have a lower opinion of it.
Mater Dei Institute of Education’s Dr John Murray said that “the thing that struck me about the article is that it said there was a lack of research into RE into second level schools,” adding that when there’s a “lack of research, anything said is just an impression”.
At the same time, he told The Irish Catholic, “I know from personal experience of teaching that sometimes RE has a low status, but without research it’s hard to say – it’s just a guess”.
Insofar as that the subject may lack respect, he said, this may be linked with the subject lacking an obvious vocational application. “If the value of a subject is linked with getting a job then religion won’t seem serious,” he said.
Some schools, he added, can be reluctant to have religion as an exam subject. “It can be quite academic at Leaving Cert level,” he said, “and there can be some concern about killing the subject.”
