Catholic
primary schools will for the first time formally teach about other
religions under a proposed new religious education curriculum being
drawn up under the auspices of the Catholic bishops, according to the
Irish Independent.
It
is a response to a proposal by the Department of Education.
According
to Fr Michael Drumm, chairperson of the Catholic Schools Partnership,
the new programme aims “to prepare young children for living in
contact with other Christians and people of
other religions, affirming their Catholic identity, while
respecting the faiths of others.”
Fr
Drumm’s submission to the Department of Education’s consultation on
inclusiveness in primary schools also makes it clear that there will
be no dilution in the ethos of Catholic Schools. It states that all
children in Catholic schools have a right to learn about diverse
faiths and know that there are many faiths practised in Ireland.
The
time allocated to teaching about other religions will vary depending
on the age of the children, ranging from two weeks a year for fifth
and sixth class pupils to one-and-a-half hours per year for first and
second class students.
The
new curriculum will replace the Alive-O programme, which has been the
basis for primary school religious education for the last 15 years.