Students opting out of religion should not feel excluded, report advises

Students should be allowed to opt out of religion classes without feeling excluded, according to the findings of a new report on Irish school patronage drawn up by the Department of Education.

The report, entitled Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Progress to Date and Future Directions, has also suggested that rather than banning crucifixes from classrooms, symbols from other religions could be displayed as well.