Row as school takes holy medal from pupil
- Published: 25 September 2008
A PARISH priest said last night he would investigate reports that a miraculous medal was confiscated from a 16-year-old secondary school student.
The fifth-year student, described as a pupil at FCJ secondary school in Bunclody, Co Wexford, was reported to have had the small medal confiscated after being told on two previous occasions to remove it while in school.
Local parish priest Father Aidan Jones said last night he had learned of the report in a number of phone calls from people concerned about the alleged incident.
"I have had a couple of phone calls about it this evening. I wasn't involved in it, but I will check it out tomorrow," he told the Irish Independent.
Fr Jones said he understood the school had a no-jewellery policy, a fairly common provision in many schools, but he did not think there was "some sort of ban" on miraculous medals.
The 'Wexford Echo' reported that the Bunclody student had been wearing the medal since it was given to him as a First Holy Communion present by his grandmother nine years ago.
He had worn it every day since, but was recently told on two previous occasions to remove it.
However, he forgot to take the medal off on Monday and it was confiscated.
His mother told the local newspaper that she found the situation ridiculous.
It was ironic such a small emblem, worn in a school with a Catholic ethos, could cause controversy, while a female student in Gorey Community School was allowed to wear the hijab -- the headscarf that forms part of Muslim dress. "He will be allowed collect it in the office after a few days but it seems a bit extreme," said the boy's mother.
"It's a silver miraculous medal, it's tiny. It's not screaming Catholic madness fanatic. It's peace of mind for me, I feel it keeps them safe. It's a family thing."
The student's mother was reported as saying she did not understand why the medal had suddenly become an issue.
"The former principal had no problem with it. She never looked at it but her view was you could wear a holy medal or a cross and chain."
The latest controversy surfaced a day after the government announced recommendations on school uniform policy and decided against issuing a directive to schools on the wearing of the the Islamic headscarf in classrooms.
A joint statement from Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe and Minister for Integration Conor Lenihan said the current system, whereby schools decided their uniform policy at a local level, was "reasonable, works and should be maintained".
Their statement said no school uniform policy should act in such a way that it, in effect, excluded students of a particular religious background from seeking enrolment or continuing their enrolment in a school.
"However, this statement does not recommend the wearing of clothing in the classroom which obscures a facial view and creates an artificial barrier between pupil and teacher.
"Such clothing hinders proper communication."
