The purpose of this circular is to set out a new approach to the arrangements that are
made for religious instruction and worship in the schools covered by this circular in
order to ensure that the rights of children to attend the school without having to
attend religious instruction will be conducted in a manner that takes account of the
likelihood, given changing demographics, of an increasing number of families wanting
to exercise their constitutional right to withdraw.
Community Post Primary Schools where in addition to an Education and
Training Board (ETB) the patronage is exercised by one or more catholic
religious orders and/or a catholic diocese.
ii. All Education and Training Board (ETB) post primary schools ( other than those
where there is an agreement between the Education and Training Board and
Educate Together whereby the school operates as a non-denominational
school that is not required to provide for religious instruction).
The existing Multi-denominational Basis for Religious Instruction or Worship
In establishing Community and VEC schools (now ETB schools) the State set a multidenominational
basis for religious worship and instruction that expresses
requirements that are common in the relevant governance documents of Community
Schools and the ETB schools concerned as follows:
The religious worship attended by any pupil at the school and the religious
instruction given to any pupil shall be in accordance with the rites, practice
and teaching of the religious denomination to which the pupil belongs.
If any question arises whether the religious worship conducted or the religious
instruction given at the school is not in accordance with the rites, practice and
teaching of a religious denominationthat question shall be determined by the
competent religious authority.
This circular does not alter that multi-denominational basis by which religious
instruction is provided or amend any of the deeds, or legal instruments concerned.
It may have been reasonable when the schools were established for a school to
assume that its pupil population was predominately Catholic and to make
arrangements for religious instruction and worship exclusively on that basis.
Historically some ETB schools in addition to meeting Catholic needs also made
provision for religious instruction that met the needs of pupils from local Protestant
communities. Depending on their future pupil composition as multi-denominational
schools, Community and ETB schools may have to make provision for religious
instruction for those from other minority religions should it be required.
Past practice of assuming that the pupil body is predominately Catholic and arranging
religious instruction accordingly is no longer an appropriate approach. In a changing
context the constitutional right not to attend religious instruction must be given effect
through changed practices.
The key change is that those who do not want instruction in line with the requirements
of any particular religion should be timetabled for alternative tuition throughout the
school year rather than supervised study or other activities.
made for religious instruction and worship in the schools covered by this circular in
order to ensure that the rights of children to attend the school without having to
attend religious instruction will be conducted in a manner that takes account of the
likelihood, given changing demographics, of an increasing number of families wanting
to exercise their constitutional right to withdraw.
Community Post Primary Schools where in addition to an Education and
Training Board (ETB) the patronage is exercised by one or more catholic
religious orders and/or a catholic diocese.
ii. All Education and Training Board (ETB) post primary schools ( other than those
where there is an agreement between the Education and Training Board and
Educate Together whereby the school operates as a non-denominational
school that is not required to provide for religious instruction).
The existing Multi-denominational Basis for Religious Instruction or Worship
In establishing Community and VEC schools (now ETB schools) the State set a multidenominational
basis for religious worship and instruction that expresses
requirements that are common in the relevant governance documents of Community
Schools and the ETB schools concerned as follows:
The religious worship attended by any pupil at the school and the religious
instruction given to any pupil shall be in accordance with the rites, practice
and teaching of the religious denomination to which the pupil belongs.
If any question arises whether the religious worship conducted or the religious
instruction given at the school is not in accordance with the rites, practice and
teaching of a religious denominationthat question shall be determined by the
competent religious authority.
This circular does not alter that multi-denominational basis by which religious
instruction is provided or amend any of the deeds, or legal instruments concerned.
It may have been reasonable when the schools were established for a school to
assume that its pupil population was predominately Catholic and to make
arrangements for religious instruction and worship exclusively on that basis.
Historically some ETB schools in addition to meeting Catholic needs also made
provision for religious instruction that met the needs of pupils from local Protestant
communities. Depending on their future pupil composition as multi-denominational
schools, Community and ETB schools may have to make provision for religious
instruction for those from other minority religions should it be required.
Past practice of assuming that the pupil body is predominately Catholic and arranging
religious instruction accordingly is no longer an appropriate approach. In a changing
context the constitutional right not to attend religious instruction must be given effect
through changed practices.
The key change is that those who do not want instruction in line with the requirements
of any particular religion should be timetabled for alternative tuition throughout the
school year rather than supervised study or other activities.
