Tramore Co. Waterford is just about to get an Educate Together primary school. Clearly if there is demand for such a school, then there is also demand for a multi/non-denominational secondary school. Why should the pupils of the Educate Together primary school have to move on to a denominational secondary school in order to continue their education?

Catholic dominance and abuse must be removed from schools. We must protect our children.

it is crazy that in 2017 we still have to worry about religious ethos in taxpayer funded schools. give parents a real choice for once.

Well Done organisers, this needs to be brought to light and should get wider coverage in the media.

I'm sure you'd still prefer the option to keep your children in non-denominational schools for their entire education if that were at all possible. From my own secondary school experience I'm aware that too much valuable class time is taken up by Religion classes (often half-hearted efforts taught by non-practising teachers who drew the short straw). I think that once parents have gotten their child a place in the most suitable school they can find they need to start concentrating on where the child will progress to. If you start now, there's a chance that there might be a non-denominational secondary school available by the time you'd like your child to attend one.

although thinking on it again, in my opinion non denominational primary schooling is more important than post-primary as its throughout the primary phase, when children are at their most impressionable, that the heaviest indoctrination takes place with communions/confirmations/nativity plays etc.

While I agree that there is not a fair choice in where to send children to school, I unfortunately cannot sign this petition as I don't feel an increase in multi-dom scchools is the answer. The irish gov will not implement that properly, you will just find they will say schools are now multi-dom yet they will still ask what religion you are upon enrolling, still say catholicc prayers, celebrate catholic holidays and ccater for their cceremonies if there is a demand. They will also still fund the catholic cchurch and then other religions on top of it will look for funding which they will get. So unfortunately I cannot sign, I personally feel the answer is 100% separation of religion from formal school education in publicc schools. leave the religious indoctrination and education to the parents and the god-parents. The people that should be doing it.

true, thanks Dónal, i have edited the word "primary" out of the overview. I have primary schools on the brain as this issue was brought to my attention when enrolling my own infant child in schools in Dublin, one of which requested "baptismal certificate" on the application form. When i asked what happens if he hasn't been baptised i was informed he would be bottom of the list as Catholic children would be considered for placement first. When i pointed out that this was discrimination i was told that the Catholic church paid for the school and the teachers and if i didn't like it i could go to a multi-denominational. When i pointed out that in fact public funds had paid for the school, the dept. of education paid for the teachers and only 3% of schools in Ireland were multi or non-denominational the individual in question refused to deal with me any further.