For our first episode I thought we’d start with a light, unemotive topic! In 2019, 97.5% of Irish primary schools have a religious patron body, with all but 3 of these schools under a Christian patronage. However, with Ireland already a diverse country, with 20% not falling under the Christian umbrella, and many people turning away from traditional Christian values, how is this still happening, and why?
Even more strangely, publicly the Taoiseach has stated he would like complete church and state separation, and even the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has declared there needs to be more diversity in schooling in the country.
This episode explores the history of our education system before delving into why religion is so rooted in our primary school system.