State to compile data on number of children who opt out of religious instruction in primary schools

A survey by the Irish National Teachers Organisation found many primary school teachers believe it should not be a school’s responsibility to prepare children for communions, confirmations, and first confessions.

The Department of Education has begun to gather data on the number of children who have opted out of religious instruction in primary schools for the first time.

Principals have been asked to provide the number of requests from parents to withdraw pupils from religious instruction or formation.

The question is included in this year’s census return, an annual form completed by primary school principals.

The majority of primary schools remain under the patronage of the Catholic Church, despite efforts to increase the diversity of schools under multi-denominational patronage.

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from religious instruction in school if they wish.

Article 44 of the Constitution recognises the rights of children to attend school without attending religious instruction, and parents can also opt their children out of religious instruction under the Education Act 1998.

However, the practicalities of this, and how a school ensures the right to not attend religion instruction is upheld, is a matter for the school concerned.

The department has not issued official guidelines to schools about how to facilitate such requests, but it has issued guidance on "good practice".

"For decades, the State has known that many families attempt to remove their children from religious faith formation, but no official data has ever been gathered until now," said Education Equality communications officer David Graham.

Education Equality is a voluntary group advocating for religious instruction in all State-funded schools to be confined to a distinct period and taught after core school hours.

This first attempt to count the number of children affected is "a milestone", he added. "The accuracy of the numbers is of secondary importance. The fact that the Department of Education is now asking the question represents a significant shift in its attitude to this issue.” 

He added: "The State is now finally acknowledging children whose needs and rights have been invisible in official statistics until now. It is doing so because the pressure for change from parents around the country has become too great to ignore.” 

The department of education has not issued official guidelines to schools about how to facilitate such requests, but it has issued guidance on "good practice".

The Catholic Schools Partnership has also published guidelines for Catholic schools in relation to the inclusion of all pupils, a spokesman for the department of education said. 

"These guidelines also support school to facilitate requests to attend school without attending religious instruction."

Earlier this year, a survey by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) found many primary school teachers believe it should not be a school’s responsibility to prepare children for communions, confirmations, and first confessions.

When asked if "faith formation" should take place in primary schools, a majority (57%) said it should not.

Faith formation includes developing a child’s understanding of, and with the Catholic faith, and includes preparation for the sacraments as well as the Catholic ethos permeating the whole school day.

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Just 4% of the teachers surveyed thought preparing children for the sacraments should be a school’s responsibility, compared to 47% who believe the family should be responsible.

A further 63% of the teachers surveyed said they believed primary schools in Ireland should have secular patrons, while 37% supported religious patrons.