'Central role' for religion in schools - Michael Kelly [irishcatholic.ie]
- Published: 27 October 2011
Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn has said that religious education will continue to have a central role to play in Irish schools in the future.
He also criticised the fact that religious faith in modern Ireland is treated with ''a level of derision and contempt that it does not deserve''. While Mr Quinn described himself as a ''practising atheist'', he said that he has had ''an abiding interest in religion for all of my adult life''.
The minister was speaking at a conference at the Irish Centre for Religious Education (ICRE) at the Mater Dei Institue in Dublin, focusing on finding mutual ground on the debate about religious education and diversity in the provision of schooling.
Mr Quinn said: ''Modern discourse about religion does no service to what is actually happening in the sphere of religious education'' in Ireland where, he said, teachers are opening up very important debates around religion to young people.
Full Story: www.irishcatholic.ie
