| dc.description.abstract | This second edition of the Inclusion of Students
of Different Beliefs in Catholic Secondary
Schools arises out of an acknowledgement that
the make-up of the Catholic school population
in Ireland has continued to change considerably
in the past decade. An increasingly diverse
population in terms of culture, language
and belief systems is enriching our school
environments. Simultaneously, a rise in the
number of people declaring that they have
no religion and an increase in those loosely
identifying with their Christian identity are all
part of the community that makes up Catholic
schools in Ireland. The 2016 census highlights
the decline in numbers of people identifying as
Roman Catholic in Ireland, falling from 84.2% in
2011 to 78.3% in 2016 (CSO 2017). It also tells us
that half the citizens who do not identify as Irish
in the 2016 Census are Roman Catholic, namely
people from Poland, Lithuania, the Philippines,
Nigeria and Brazil. While this growing religious
and cultural diversity enriches our school
communities, it also poses challenges to
schools as they seek to adopt more inclusive
practices.
Public debates are ongoing on the role of
religious education in schools, on religious
pluralism, and about what equality in education
in Ireland now means. This document seeks
to offer practical suggestions for Catholic
school communities on how to welcome
and accommodate all students, including
those of different beliefs and those with no
religious affiliation, while remaining true to
the characteristic spirit of their school and the
Gospel values that motivate Catholic education. | en |
