So, here we are. We’re at the point we were hoping not to be at with our children – our eldest starts school next week and our best available option for him was a Catholic School.
Even though he isn’t Catholic.
There are three schools in our immediate area that are convenient for us to get to, all have good reputations and where he would know some of the kids who are in his class – and they are all Catholic.
There ARE two Educate Together schools in neighbouring towns but they didn’t fit the bill for other reasons: they were too big, none of his friends were attending, they were a bit too far away and the start times were too early for us.
We did the juggle; we visited the schools, we asked other parents, we got his name down in one multi-denominational school and one Catholic school and ultimately, we had to make the best decision for our family.
Which essentially meant leaving our moral standpoint at.. well, at the school gates.
And now that Jacob is about to embark on that journey (as of next Monday!) I am all of a fluster, wondering precisely what is to become of my little non-Catholic in his new Catholic school?
According to Equate, 91 primary school hours are spent on faith formation every year.
91 hours.
What a waste for my little man, who is so smart, so inquisitive and SO in need of his hours at school to be filled with LEARNING.
Is that too much to ask?
While I know that Educate Together is the best thing Ireland has to offer currently as an alternative to these state-funded Catholic Schools (which make up 90% of our schools by the way), it still isn’t quite what I’m looking for, for my kids.
I just want school to be school.
I want our kids to learn about reading, writing, maths, science, art, computers, geography, history, love, life, sports, biology, cookery, DIY, social consciousness, sexual and mental health, nature – all the practical things they need for living a good and balanced life in this crazy world.
I think religious studies is valid as a subject so long as it is objective and doesn’t push a particular agenda.
But aside from that, in my opinion, I think it should stay out of our schools.
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