Equality Conference 2013 Religion and Ethos in Primary School s

Equality Conference 2013

Religion and Ethos in

Primary Schools

INTO QuestionnaireINTO QuestionnaireTeaching Religion in Primary SchoolTeaching Religion in Primary School

•A random 3% of the membership in the Republic of Ireland received a questionnaire in October/November 2012.

•363 Questionnaires were returned for analysis

•38 % response rate

Religion in Primary SchoolsReligion in Primary SchoolsProfile of RespondentsProfile of Respondents

•One quarter were male and three quarters were female;•just over two thirds were class teachers;•approximately 70% teach in schools with 8 teachers or more; •two thirds teach in an urban setting;•90% of the respondents stated that the ethos of their school was denominational; •Just over 90% stated that they were under Catholic patronage.

Religion in Primary SchoolsReligion in Primary Schools

Attitudes to Teaching Attitudes to Teaching ReligionReligion

INTO Results of Questionnaire 2012INTO Results of Questionnaire 2012 Purpose of Teaching ReligionPurpose of Teaching Religion

• Holistic Education

• Faith formation• Support• Tradition• Sacramental

preparation

• School Ethos• Teach about God• Morals and

Values• Other e.g. part of

contract• No purpose

Respondents’ Attitudes to Teaching Respondents’ Attitudes to Teaching ReligionReligion2012 2002

I teach religion willingly 49% 61.2%

I would teach a broad religion education willingly but would prefer not to teach religious instruction in a particular faith

10.2% 5.7%

I am not opposed to teaching religion 19.8% 12.4%

I just see religion as another subject I have to teach

7.7% 8.7%

I would like to opt out of teaching religion

2.2% 5%

I have opted out of teaching religion 0.3% 0.3%

Other 2.8% 1.0%

No Response 0.3% N/A

Do you agree that religion should be Do you agree that religion should be taught in primary schools during school taught in primary schools during school hours?hours?

23.6%

14.4%

2.5%

Results of INTO Questionnaire Results of INTO Questionnaire 20122012

Do you believe that religion should be Do you believe that religion should be taught by the classroom teacher?taught by the classroom teacher?


55.4%

24.2%

17.1%

3.3%

In your view is it necessary for teachers to In your view is it necessary for teachers to be believers of the faith they are required be believers of the faith they are required to teach?to teach?


46.5%

51%

2.5%

Results of INTO Questionnaire 2012Results of INTO Questionnaire 2012In your opinion, should Education about In your opinion, should Education about Religion and Beliefs (ERB) be part of the Religion and Beliefs (ERB) be part of the curriculum in all schools?curriculum in all schools?

71.9%

Religion in Primary Schools

School Religious Ethos

School’s Religious EthosSchool’s Religious Ethos

•Religious Pictures and Icons•Daily Prayers•Religious services•School Choirs•Integration with other lessons•Visits by Clergy/Church Representatives

Visits by the Clergy/Church Visits by the Clergy/Church RepresentativesRepresentatives

If your school is denominational, are If your school is denominational, are there pupils attending the school who there pupils attending the school who are not of the faith of the school?are not of the faith of the school?

3.7%

Provision for pupils not of the faith of Provision for pupils not of the faith of the schoolthe school• Full participation including

preparation sacraments• Full participation in the

religious programme but do not partake in sacramental preparation

• They partially participate in the religious programme and do not partake in the sacraments

• Other class work /Own religious programme

• They remain in class or have the option of being withdrawn

• No provision is made

• They must be removed from the classroom and/or be collected

• Parents’ wishes are respected and pupils do not participate


Sacramental Preparation

Do you agree that children should be Do you agree that children should be prepared for the Sacraments in prepared for the Sacraments in Primary School?Primary School?

In your view, the main responsibility In your view, the main responsibility for preparing children for the for preparing children for the sacraments lie with:sacraments lie with:

Apart from allocated religion time, Apart from allocated religion time, does sacramental preparation take up does sacramental preparation take up additional time?additional time?

7.4%

Religion in Primary SchoolsReligion in Primary Schools

Teacher EducationTeacher Education

Should a qualification for teaching Should a qualification for teaching religion in the primary school be:-religion in the primary school be:-

Should Colleges of Education be Should Colleges of Education be denominational?denominational?


In to the future

In your view, in the last 10 years has In your view, in the last 10 years has religious practice among families religious practice among families attending your school has:attending your school has:

Results of INTO Questionnaire 2012Results of INTO Questionnaire 2012Should all parents have an option to choose Should all parents have an option to choose a school with their preferred religious a school with their preferred religious ethos? ethos?

Results of INTO Questionnaire 2012Results of INTO Questionnaire 2012According to the respondents most schools should be:

28.4%

21.8%

27%

7.1%

10%5.7%

Would you be willing to facilitate a Would you be willing to facilitate a colleague who wished to opt out of colleague who wished to opt out of teaching religion by taking his/her teaching religion by taking his/her class for religion?class for religion?

Catering for teachers who wish to opt Catering for teachers who wish to opt outout• Swap subject with another teacher• Assign a role which does not include

sacramental preparation• Visiting Teacher for Religion• Instructors from the parish

Other findingsOther findings•Just under half of the respondents are of the view that the school should support the family and the Church in relation to the religious formation of the child.

•In 2012 12.4% believe that the school should have no role in the religious formation of the child. This has decreased from 21.8% in 2002.

Summary of the FindingsSummary of the Findings•Respondents are of the view that religious practice in Ireland has declined in the last ten years.•Parents should have the right to choose a school with their preferred religious ethos.•Half of teachers believe that most schools should be multi-denominational.

• Education about Religion and Beliefs (ERB) should form part of the primary school curriculum.• Colleges of education ought not to be

solely denominational to reflect the growing need for multi-denominational education.

Documents

Equality Conference 2013 Religion and Ethos in Primary School s