• The Forum on the future of denominational schools, set up by Ruairi Quinn, had its last public meeting in recent days
  
• The Forum's Advisory Group made a series of recommendations that would badly undermine the identity of denominational schools
  
• For example, it wants to abolish the rule that allows schools to permeate the school day with their ethos
  
• It wants the symbols of other religions to be given equal prominence with Christian symbols in Christian schools
  
• It wants Christian schools to celebrate the festivals of other religions also

SHORTLY after coming into office, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn established the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism the basic aim of which is to transfer an as yet undetermined number of Catholic primary schools to new patron bodies. This is a process The Iona Institute supports in principle.

However, a very big proviso has always been that the ethos and identity of the remaining schools be properly protected. To judge by some of the recommendations of the Advisory Group to the Forum that were outlined yesterday, this is not going to happen, quite the reserve in fact.

'Inclusion' is the big aim of the recommendations but 'inclusion', while laudable in itself, cannot come at the price of the identity of religious schools. Unfortunately, the recommendations aim to make religious schools 'inclusive' in a manner that will greatly weaken the identity and ethos of those schools.

Some of the recommendations are outlined in the bullet points above. The proposal to abolish Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools is particularly serious. What will be consequences be if the right of denominational schools to permeate the school day with their ethos is no longer guaranteed?

If the symbols of non-Christian religions are to be given the same prominence in Christians schools as Christian symbols, will that mean the Muslim crescent should be given the same prominence as the cross, or vice versa in Muslim schools?

Another recommendation is that communal prayers and hymns "need to be respectful of the beliefs and culture of all children in the school". This goes without saying. We presume the Advisory Group does not believe that explicitly Christian prayers are in some way disrespectful towards children of other faiths because they are not sufficiently inclusive?

Overall, the Advisory Group appears to see the ethos and present practice of religious schools as being inherently 'exclusive' and badly in need of reform even if many Catholic schools are given to other patron bodies.

But how can religious schools maintain their identity  if the very act of giving Christianity pride of place in a Christian school is deemed to be 'exclusive'?

To judge from their recommendations, the Advisory Group does not understand the true meaning of religious freedom. (Iona Institute)

See a relevant David Quinn article from the Irish Independent HERE