‘Extra teachers needed for religion alternative’

Education Minister Richard Bruton is under pressure to provide the extra staff to allow students to be offered alternative subjects, in place of religion, at hundreds of second-level schools.

Despite his insistence that a directive to give some second-level students an opt-out from religious instruction would not require extra staffing, representatives of schools and teachers said there will be resourcing implications.

The Department of Education has told 300 second-level community and multi-denominational schools, managed by education and training boards (ETBs), that children must be allowed to opt out of religious instruction.