1. Equality Conference 2013 Religion and Ethos in Primary School s

2. Article 42.1 Bunreacht na hÉireann The state acknowledges “that the primary and natural educator of the child is the Family and guarantees to respect the right and duty of parents to provide….for the religious and moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children”

3. Article 42.4 Bunreacht na hÉireann “the State shall provide for free primary education and shall endeavour to supplement and give reasonable aid to private and corporate educational initiative…with due regard, for the rights of parents, especially in the matter of religious and moral formation.

4. Article 42.2.4 Bunreacht na hÉireann “Legislation providing State aid for schools shall not discriminate between schools under the management of different religious denominations, nor be such as to affect prejudicially the right of any child to attend a school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at that school.”

5. Education Act 1998 Section 15 refers to the “ characteristic spirit of the school, as determined by the cultural, educational, moral religious, social and linguistic and spiritual values and traditions…of the school”

6. Forum on Pluralism and Patronage

7. Surveys of parental demand in five pilot areas 23%-43% of parents under 12 responded 37%-50% of parents wanted wider choice of school patronage 26%-36% of parents would send their child to a school under alternative patronage

8. Equality Conference 2013 Religion and Ethos in Primary School s

9. The Advisory Group recommends that, at local level, understanding, tact and flexibility should form part of discussions with teachers, and every effort should be made to accommodate their professional concerns. With goodwill and co-operation, and flexible use of the panel and redeployment process, it should be possible for satisfactory accommodations to be reached.

10. Equality Conference 2013 Religion and Ethos in Primary School s