The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) today welcomed the publication of the Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector and in particular recommendations that will lead to a greater diversity in school type in Ireland.
Dr Maurice Manning, President of the IHRC said
"the report is extremely detailed and the recommendations require careful consideration, however overall the IHRC welcomes the Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector and its practical recommendations to increase diversity in primary schooling in Irish Society over time, while also addressing some of the practical difficulties this poses in rural areas. In this regard the Forum’s immediate recommendations concerning respect for the human rights of all children in schools are extremely important and should be implemented without delay. The Forum has made great efforts to carefully balance the human rights of all stakeholders and the IHRC is pleased that the report reflects many of the Commission’s recommendations including the recognition that to achieve human rights compliance, primary schooling needs to reflect the diversity of religious and non-religious convictions now represented in the State. The IHRC has consistently affirmed that respect for human rights is a common objective all stakeholders can work together to achieve, and where the minority and the majority are equally respected."
Mr Des Hogan, Acting Chief Executive said
"the IHRC welcomes recommendations to strengthen complaints and appeals procedures and expand the role of the Ombudsman for Children as well as to amend the Equal Status Acts to provide greater protection for equity of access to schools. We particularly welcome the recommendation to delete Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools which requires a religious spirit to permeate the whole work of the school. This requirement is clearly not appropriate to all schools and does not reflect the human rights obligations of the State. The report calls for a review and update of the Rules for National Schools, a recommendation also made by the IHRC. It is important that such a review takes into account the relevant human rights standards."
In conclusion, Dr Manning welcomed the emphasis in the report on the importance of education about religion and beliefs (ERB) and ethics and considered that
"education that strengthens human rights should be a fundamental part of the curriculum and teaching guidelines." He continued "It is also important to recall that this Report only deals with the primary sector and similar considerations also apply to secondary education funded by the State, where respect for religious diversity and human rights must also be upheld."
ENDS/
An IHRC spokesperson is available for comment
For further information, please contact:
Fidelma Joyce, IHRC
Tel: 01 8589601 Mob: 087 783 4939
Notes to Editor
The IHRC published Religion and Education: A Human Rights Perspective in May 2011, and made 13 recommendation to Government for reform of education provision in the State to take account of the State’s human rights obligations. The IHRC report was the culmination of a consultation process launched in November 2010 on the nature of education provision in Ireland and whether it meets human rights standards. The IHRC received 60 submissions through its consultation which addressed the complex difficulties which have arisen in the Irish context. Key among those issues is how the right to freedom of religion, belief and conscience of parents of children can be met for both those parents and children of the majority Roman Catholic religion, of minority religions and indeed those of no faith.
The IHRC was consulted by the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector in the course of its work, and emphasised the importance of adopting a human rights framework in making its recommendations.