Should children be taught about religion as if it were fact? 

Most schools still prepare children for their First Holy Communion or Confirmation. 

Whereas by contrast, in France, schools do not teach children about faith and such matters are left to churches, mosques and synagogues. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, David Graham from Education Equality argued that children should learn about religion - so long as it is not presented as fact. 

“So, children should absolutely learn about different religions and, indeed, no religious world views in the classroom,” he said. 

“I think it’s very difficult to really understand what goes on in the world without understanding the ideological position that people have.” 

Mr Graham said that any teaching of religion as “truth” is “deeply problematic”. 

He added that if parents want to be taught about their religion, it should be done outside of the classroom. 

“If we move religious faith formation outside core school hours and offer it on an opt-in basis, then children can opt in,” he said. 

“That choice is available.” 

Catholic boys and girls receiving the sacrament of first holy communion. Picture by Alamy.com

David Quinn of the Iona Institute argued that parents should be allowed to decide on what their child learns in the classroom. 

“If they want religious formation in the classroom, that’s what they ought to get,” he said. 

“It’s clearly what the great majority of parents still want. 

“They don’t want a particularly strong form of Catholicism being taught to them. 

“But it’s clear they still want there to be faith formation in the run up to the First Holy Communion.” 

Mr Quinn added that most parents do not oppose the status quo. 

“If they were ideological about it, they would want to take it out of the schools,” he said. 

“But they simply don’t; they’re happy for it to be in schools.”

Main image: A school in Donegal. Photo by: Richard Wayman/Alamy