The preparation of primary school children for the sacraments of both
Communion and Confirmation may have to take place outside classroom
time if the new Minister of Education Ruairi Quinn TD has his way.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Community and
Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) the Minister said that the time taken with
faith formation, which took place during the school day, could be
better used on such things as reading and maths skills.
Minister Quinn
referred to a severe decline in the performance by Irish 15 year-olds in
the International OECD/ PISA literacy tables that were published last
year and which showed Ireland dropping from fifth place to seventeenth
place, with maths already showing a decline.
Currently Catholic run schools spend thirty minutes per day on
religion, which includes faith formation, while non-denominational
schools spend thirty minutes per day on ethical issues, but not
religion.
Minister Quinn said that while every primary school student
should have some understanding of the history of religions, faith
formation was a different issue.
He added, “It takes up a lot of time. Some people suggest that it
could be done by parents or by the parish or indeed in the school
building but outside of teaching time.”
“We have already over-loaded the primary school curriculum and we
need to create a better system which allows young people maximise their
potential.”