A Fianna Fáil proposal that would prevent faith schools from having the right to choose their staff, has been described as, “an attack on the ethos of Christian schools” by the Iona Institute.
Fianna Fáil Senator Averil Power published legislation that would overturn legislation, allowing religious institutions to refuse to hire people if they feel such people would compromise their ability to teach their faith. Her stance was backed by Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin.
Currently, denominational schools, hospitals and other bodies have this capacity under Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act.
However, speaking to ciNews, the director of the Iona Institute, David Quinn (pictured), said the move would make it “impossible for those schools to uphold the Christian teaching on marriage and the meaning and purpose of human sexuality.”
Mr Quinn said, “Forcing denominational schools to employ openly gay teachers, or openly divorced teachers, or openly cohabiting teachers is a direct attack on the ethos of those schools. It makes it impossible for those schools to uphold the Christian teaching on marriage and the meaning and purpose of human sexuality. Denominational schools can and do employ gay teachers and divorced teachers and cohabiting teachers, but if they must employ those teachers even when the teachers have made an issue of their lifestyles with their pupils, then that is clearly an attack on the ethos of Christian schools. Those schools must be permitted to protect their ethos.”
He accused Fianna Fáil of an “attack” on the Employment Equality Act, adding that it is, “badly misguided and probably unconstitutional.”
Senator Power, who is the party’s spokesperson on education and skills in Seanad Éireann, said the Programme for Government contains a commitment to change the status quo, which allows a school to claim that hiring a gay teacher would undermine their religious ethos.
However, nothing had been done to date in relation to it, she said.
She described the current situation as, “completely unjust,” she said she was putting it up to the Government by publishing legislation and calling on it to accept it.
The Bill has been welcomed by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Group.
“Removing the threat of section 37.1 would provide enormous and immediate relief for lesbian and gay teachers who just want to get on with their jobs without the constant threat of dismissal hanging over them,” said Cathal O’Riada, a primary school principal and the chair of INTO’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Group.
The moves comes after a number of moves by the current Government that threaten the right of denominational schools to pass on their faith.
The Government’s Forum on Patronage and Pluralism recommended that the rule, which allows schools to permeate their day with the ethos of their denomination, should be scrapped.
Rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools states, “A religious ethos should inform and vivify the whole work of the school.”
Other proposals include setting aside several classes a week to teach primary school children about ethics and world religions; making the display of religious artefacts and art, “inclusive of all belief systems in the school”; celebrate the festivals of different religious beliefs; ensuring the communal prayers and hymns are “respectful of the beliefs and culture of all children in the school.
A motion due to be debated at the Labour Party’s national conference is set to recommend the end of religious schooling.
The main sponsor of the motion, Aodhán O Riordan, told the Irish Catholic last month “religious ethos has no place in the educational system of a modern republic.”