The preparation of primary school children for the sacraments of both Communion and Confirmation may have to take place outside classroom time if the new Minister of Education Ruairi Quinn TD has his way.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS) the Minister said that the time taken with faith formation, which took place during the school day, could be better used on such things as reading and maths skills.
Minister Quinn referred to a severe decline in the performance by Irish 15 year-olds in the International OECD/ PISA literacy tables that were published last year and which showed Ireland dropping from fifth place to seventeenth place, with maths already showing a decline.
Currently Catholic run schools spend thirty minutes per day on religion, which includes faith formation, while non-denominational schools spend thirty minutes per day on ethical issues, but not religion.
Minister Quinn said that while every primary school student should have some understanding of the history of religions, faith formation was a different issue.
He added, “It takes up a lot of time. Some people suggest that it could be done by parents or by the parish or indeed in the school building but outside of teaching time.”
“We have already over-loaded the primary school curriculum and we need to create a better system which allows young people maximise their potential.”
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