INTO backs key reforms on Religion and Patronage in schools
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has today adopted recommendations on the future of religious education and primary school patronage.
The resolution, which builds on the union’s campaign that secured changes to Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act, was adopted alongside the findings of a national INTO survey on religion in schools and accompanied by the recommendations of the INTO Taskforce on the Future of Primary School Patronage.
The INTO Taskforce was established to examine the experience of members working within a school system where over 95% of primary schools remain under religious patronage. Following detailed engagement, the Taskforce has proposed 13 key recommendations to ensure a more equitable, inclusive, and modern education system.
Among the central proposals are:
Accelerating the divestment of schools in areas where feasible, in partnership with the Department of Education and existing patrons;
Urgent need to Collect national empirical data on parental and community preferences;
Improving communications and public awareness around school reconfiguration and highlighting successful divestments;
Repealing Section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Acts in full to remove any remaining religious discrimination from employment law in education;
Challenging the requirement for a religious certificate as a condition of employment in denominational schools;
Promoting teacher diversity by removing structural barriers to entry and enhancing multi-faith and intercultural training;
Providing schools with clear guidance and resourcing to manage pupils’ ‘opt-out’ arrangements from religious instruction;
Ensuring inclusive enrolment policies across all schools, with regular reviews of admissions practices.
INTO General Secretary John Boyle said: “The findings from our survey and the comprehensive work of our Taskforce reflect a concern among teachers about the mismatch between modern Irish society and the structures governing our primary schools. INTO members want a school system that is inclusive, equitable and reflective of the diversity of our pupils. Today’s resolution and recommendations will guide the work of the union in the coming years.”
Proposing the motion, Jason Kelly (Tallaght Branch) said: “I looked at other western democracies – countries like the UK, the United States, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. All of them maintain secular public-school systems. Even in Catholic-majority countries like Spain and Italy, the vast majority of public schools are secular. Religious certificates are only needed to teach religion – not every subject. Ireland is the outlier. In 2024 this union overwhelmingly passed a motion to remove the religious cert. Following that, a recent INTO survey found that only 33% of teachers provide faith formation willingly. That means 67% do not. Why? Because many, like myself, are uncomfortable delivering faith formation in a faith we don’t belong to. Because treating children differently based on religion feels fundamentally wrong.”