Cathal Barry
A leading religious education expert has said he “remains to be convinced” that a planned change to employment equality law will protect the right of Catholic schools to defend their religious ethos.
Theologian Dr John Murray said he was “concerned” by the Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin’s announcement that he was working hard to ensure the Employment Equality Act would be amended by September, when the new school term starts.
Section 37 permits faith-based organisations to employ only those who will uphold their religious ethos.
“Schools need to be able to protect and support their ethos for the sake of the parents who send their children to the school and who are relying on the school to educate their children in harmony with their convictions and values.
“The law needs to support this,” Dr Murray said.
“Schools don’t discriminate on the basis of sexuality anyway. Nobody should be excluded from a school on the basis of sexual orientation. Section 37 is to ensure the employees support and uphold the ethos of the school,” he added.
The Mater Dei Institute lecturer was responding to reports that new legislation would offer protections to staff of religious-run schools who are members of the LGBT community, while allowing schools to maintain their religious ethos.
Dr Murray remarked that the planned Bill sounded “very vague”.
“I can’t see any way of doing both but I would certainly look at any alternatives that are presented. If there was a robust protection for school ethos then I would accept that but it would have to be reliable,” he said, adding that he “remains to be convinced that any alternative will do the job of protecting school ethos and parents’ rights”.
“The constitution supports schools having a particular ethos. Therefore, parents have a right to an education for their children that is in line with their values and beliefs as far as possible,” he said.
