In interviews for teaching posts at most primary schools, there is a mandatory requirement that has little or nothing to do with applicants’ college grades, educational experience or proficiency in Irish.
It is a certificate in religious studies, a requirement for teaching religion according to the tenets of the Catholic faith.
Catholic primary schools – which account for 88 per cent of national schools – require the cert due to the way religion is integrated into the curriculum.
However, Anna Hurley, a Co Cork teacher with 17 years of experience, says it is excluding many applicants at a time of a teacher supply crisis and forcing many educators to uphold something they don’t believe in.
“In any interview at a Catholic school, applicants will be asked about upholding the Catholic ethos,” Hurley says.
“It is common knowledge that teachers lie about their personal commitment to the faith when asked by principals or board chairs, who can often be priests; you can memorise the answers you know they are looking for. It’s a tick-box exercise.”
Hurley is no longer a practising Catholic and has opted her two children out of religious instruction at school – but she says many parents don’t opt their children out of religion as they don’t want them to feel excluded.
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“Children arriving from other countries, who are not Catholic, are even making Communion and Confirmation because their parents may not understand that it isn’t compulsory,” Hurley says.
She emphasises that she is not anti-Catholic; instead, she wants all faiths and none equally respected.
“I would feel as though I was insulting my Catholic friends and family and making a mockery of sacraments that are very special to them by taking part in religion.”
Elaine Cleary has 14 years of teaching experience, but does not have the certificate – and has decided not to study for it. Instead, she teaches at an multidenominational Educate Together school.
“I have been interviewed for positions in Catholic schools,” she says. “Like so many teachers, I had rehearsed answers for what I would say if I was asked about religion. But in one school, they told me that they are a Catholic school with a majority of non-practising parents. I replied honestly, saying that if parents had made the decision around what religion they wanted their child to have, it was not my place to indoctrinate. I knew from the look on their faces that I wouldn’t get the job.
“The whole system rests on the idea that teachers are willing to uphold something they don’t believe – and many of us simply don’t,” she says.
“The principals can’t speak out because the patron is their boss. Our education system no longer represents the families it is there to serve. The heel-dragging won’t stop until the numbers opting out of religion outweigh those taking part.”
Peter Melrose is another primary teacher who says his job prospects are limited by the certificate. He was raised Catholic and says he reflected deeply on religion in his late 20s.
“I decided it was not for me; I did not believe,” he says. “As a teacher, I tried to avoid the Communion and Confirmation years. Primary teachers have a massive influence on children; they hang on our every word. I grew increasingly uncomfortable with telling children they should believe something I didn’t. Religion became a constant spectre over my shoulder.”
Melrose, who is also a Social Democrats councillor, says he resigned when, for three years in a row, the school did not raise the Pride flag. He says he has close LGBT friends and family and believes in equality and inclusion.
“There is a shortage of teachers at the moment, but what will happen if that changes? I’m a good teacher. I should not have to compromise my values,” he says.
Catholic groups, however, see the requirements of the religious certificate in a much different light. As well as teaching about faith, they say it explores issues around inter-culturalism, religious diversity and the importance of promoting respect for all pupils.
They see the religious education programme as a subject that is taught in a manner that complements other curricular areas, such as history, geography, art and music.
The Catholic Education Partnership, an umbrella body for Catholic schools, has said a teacher does not need to be Catholic to gain the qualification and religious affiliation is not something asked of candidates in interviews. Rather, it says candidates are asked to demonstrate a knowledge of the Catholic ethos.
Critics of the requirement, however, say would-be teachers who are not believing Catholics, or who are unwilling to pretend they are, are effectively debarred from most schools at a time when the system is suffering from a shortage of qualified teachers.
While 88 per cent of schools remain under Catholic patronage, a plan to divest schools to non-religious patrons has stalled and there are no timelines or interim targets for the Government’s plan to provide 400 multidenominational schools by 2030.
David Graham, press officer with Education Equality, says that, far from the primary sector becoming more open in line with the divestment agenda, the Catholic Church has clamped down on its religious control.
He points to a recent letter from the archbishop of Dublin’s office instructing school boards of management to ensure “a crucifix in every classroom, an image of Our Lady or the patron saint, and a sacred space in each classroom”.
To illustrate the barriers in the recruitment process, his organisation sent inquiry letters from “Aoife McCarthy” to school principals in relation to positions advertised on EducationPosts.ie
“I am interested in applying for the position advertised on EducationPosts.ie,” Aoife wrote. “Do I need to have a certificate in religious education?”
The posts included permanent teaching posts as well as special education roles. The principals were all in Catholic schools.
Education Equality says most replied to Aoife and said that they would not be able to offer her a permanent position without the certificate. In at least two responses, principals said that they were under explicit orders from the archdiocese that they could not hire her without the certificate.
“Aoife”, although a real teacher, was a persona, and she wrote the email to gather evidence of the impact of religious control on the primary education system. The Irish Times is aware of the real identity of Aoife, who is a representative from the campaign group Education Equality.
On a wider level, Education Equality says religious control creates segregated classrooms where parents often report difficulties associated with opting their children out of religious instruction.
Many say that their children cannot help but hear the religion lessons when they sit at the back of the class; this is a situation that has only pertained since 1965, when religious instruction was moved outside of school hours back into class time.
Teachers have been relatively quiet about these issues over the years; many would speak off record, but were afraid that speaking publicly would jeopardise their career.
More, however, are beginning to voice their views publicly. At this year’s annual Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) congress in Derry, a large majority of primary teachers called for the removal of the certificate as a mandatory condition of employment, and instructed their union to conduct a survey of primary teachers on whether faith formation should continue to take place in primary schools, and if primary schools should have secular or religious patrons.
The INTO executive was instructed to report back in time for the 2025 conference. A union spokesperson said they are finalising their survey about religion in primary schools with the intention of conducting it in the coming months. The survey results will then be published.
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