Irish education minister proposes to bar Catholic schools from favoring Catholic applicants
June 28, 2017
Irish education minister Richard Bruton has announced plans to prevent Catholic primary schools from giving preference to Catholic children in their admissions policies.
Catholic schools funded by the government will be barred from discriminating on the basis of applicants’ religion. Schools that are administered by a minority religion will be allowed to continue giving some preference to applicants of their own faith in limited cases: when there are more applicants than spaces available and when the policy is deemed necessary to preserve the religious character of the school.
Bruton’s proposal would require a legislative change, since existing law in Ireland allows for religious schools to discriminate on the basis of faith.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: WBSM -
Jun. 29, 2017 6:21 AM ET USA
It is terrible when the Church accepts money from the government... It has caused difficult situations all over Europe.
-
Posted by: brenda22890 -
Jun. 29, 2017 5:36 AM ET USA
Perfect example of taking government funds for education - in Ireland, or in the U.S. The more we accept funding from secular sources, the more they will dictate what we teach, to whom, and how it will be taught.
-
Posted by: Faustina01 -
Jun. 28, 2017 11:49 PM ET USA
How absolutely abominable! How ridiculous! Catholic Schools are first and foremost for Catholic children....they are a place in which we learn our Faith and live our Faith! It is time for Catholic Schools to stop taking government money and reclaim their identity, TO USE CATHOLIC TEXTS and not government texts, to be proud of being Catholic, and then families will return.
