Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I appeal to the Minister to reconsider providing guidelines. There should be minimum standards in regard to the nature of the exemption for students. It is not fair on students who are being excluded, whether they are being put to the back of the classroom or sent to a library. It is not fair on the students and teachers in the class who want to study religion because teachers are being asked to manage classes and teach religion, along with dealing with seven others who are not doing the subject. That leads to discipline issues.

Students coming into schools in September will see from the timetable that religion is scheduled for 2.40 p.m. on a Tuesday, but a student who does not do religion will ask what he or she should do, and his or her tutor will not know because the school has no idea what is happening. If those not studying religion are not included in the timetable provisions, will a teacher be available to supervise those students who are not sitting at the back of a classroom? Are those students unsupervised, which is wrong? Are they with an SNA, which is not fair on him or her?

It is a domino effect. I ask the Minister to set down minimum guidelines to at least ensure that those who are not studying religion are doing something of educational benefit during the time involved.

We have to consider the children in the class who are willingly doing religion and ensure their learning experience is not impacted. With everything that is happening in society, particularly in the past year and a half, we should be promoting an inclusive approach. Instead, we have those who do religion and those who do not in the same classroom. That is wrong on many levels. I appeal to the Minister to put in place minimum standards to ensure that every child gets the best value out of their education.