Religion being taught in schools
Posted on: July 5, 2013
- In: Debate | Education | School
- 2 Comments
There’s one class in school that I know from experience and talking to others that is usually thought incorrectly and inaccurately. Religion. Usually a filler class for most that takes up two classes out of the 49 I have a week – I tend to have to sit in religion and have to listen to a bias opinion on one religion and I know from others that I’m not the only one to experience it.
Since the Celtic Tiger, Ireland’s religious spectrum expanded and even though the vast majority of the country fall under the title of Roman Catholic there is plenty of other citizens with different views on religion and their spirituality. But why is it that even though the country has changed, the system has not changed? Why is it that Ireland’s education system for religious education has not evolved with the population and the students in school?
I’ll tell you why, because Ireland has it’s head in the clouds and does not take religion as a serious subject. 1,500 students sat religious education for their Leaving Certificate this June and I only know one of them. Until a few months back I was even unaware of the fact that religion was a subject for leaving certificate. I was aware of it being studied for the Junior Cert, but not the leaving cert.
So if people aren’t studying for the exam that is available, what are they studying for? Nothing. The classes are used by a teacher that is probably not qualified in religion but only has a strong view on the topic (which is usually bias to one religion). For example, a teacher who is extremely catholic could voice their opinion on same sex marriage, adoption laws and abortion in a negative way but not allow for an open opinion from the opposite side of the argument.
I believe that religion should remain a subject in schools – but not as what it is. I, as an agnostic, would very much so like to learn about different religions, philosophy and different outlooks on life from a teacher who is unbiased to their own religion. They say a traveled mind is a broadened mind, but how can someone have a broad mind when their mind has only seen Catholicism?
– Paraic McLean
2 Responses to "Religion being taught in schools"
August 4, 2013 at 11:08 am
I agree with both the author of the article and the author of the comment. My school has a very Catholic grounding and ethos, and despite Religion not being an exam subject , we are required to take two classes a week, in which the Catholic nature of our school is displayed. As the article says, our teachers are not qualified Religion teachers, but do have a strong interest in the subject, and all are Catholics. While some do allow for debates and discussions similar to those that the above comment mentioned, others do not, and insist on voicing their views on matters, (as the article mentions; abortion, same-sex marriage ect), leaving little or no room for the students to have a say. Then there are some teachers that will use the class as a study class, where you are expected to do work (study, complete homework, ect) and not say a word.
I am not sure how to fix these kind of problems in Religion classes on a national level. Perhaps a programme, or guidelines of some sort, could be devised and issued to schools, making aspects like debates, discussions and education of other religions compulsory in every school? As I am talking from a point of view in which Religion is not an exam subject, I am not quite sure what could be done to the actual exam courses, only what could be altered to suit situations similar to my school. However it is a topic which should be taken very seriously, as it effects thousands of students on a weekly basis.
Voicesofyouth 
July 6, 2013 at 7:06 pm
I’d have to respectfully disagree with this one in relation to my own school, who use Religion classes very effectively. They are used to teach a variety of topics including world religions, morality and sex-ed, without being biased towards any one religion. We also have debates about topics such as abortion and same-sex marriage in which we are all able to voice our opinions openly. However, I am sure there are many schools who do not have a system such as this, such as that of the author’s, and are in need of reform, but I just wanted to point out that, although probably somewhat rare, there are schools who use the subject of Religion effectively, but unfortunately they are not available to everyone.