A new front has opened in the battle over the role of religious teaching in new community primary schools to be opened in September. The Church of Ireland has confirmed that broad religious education should be on the curriculum, but that formal faith formation, such as as preparation for sacraments, should take place outside school hours.
This is at variance with the Catholic Church view that religious education in schools must include preparing Catholic children for sacraments such as Confession, Communion and Confirmation.
Sorting out the issue of religious teaching will be one of the toughest challenges facing the education partners in the search for consensus on the running of the new community primary schools in west Dublin.
The opening of the new schools, under the patronage of County Dublin VEC, is a first in Irish education.
Denominations
The schools will cater for all denominations, and none, and Education Minister Mary Hanafin has said that they would provide religious education and faith formation during the school day for each of the main faith groups represented.
A general ethics programme would also be available for children whose parents opt for that.
A Church of Ireland spokesperson said their view was that "religious education, including knowledge of major world religions, should be taught as part of the normal primary school curriculum, while religious instruction, especially preparation for the sacraments, should be provided outside schools hours."
Parish
In Church of Ireland schools currently, the parish or congregation takes responsibility for preparing children for sacraments in a Sunday School or equivalent.
Monsignor Dan O'Connor, secretary of the Catholic Primary School Managers Association (CPSMA), said that the minister had given assurances that religious instruction and faith formation would be provided in the new community schools during school hours.
He said if religious instruction of children took place outside school hours, the schools would be non-denominational.
Minister Hanafin has announced a conference on meeting future primary education needs, stating that she wants open consultation on the issue. A date for the conference has yet to be announced.
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