Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 7: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 10 December 2009, in regard to each college of education in the State and funded by his Department, if it is possible for a student to undertake and complete the bachelor of education course qualifying them for employment as a primary school teacher without undertaking a module in religious education or being required to teach religion on teaching practice; the provision that is made in each of the colleges of education for students who object on grounds of religious belief or non-belief or other grounds of conscience to participating in faith formation; if there is any recognised and viable education and career path open to a person who is not a member of the Christian faith or is without religious belief to acquire educational qualifications and to achieve employment as a primary school teacher; if he has any proposals to review this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10698/10]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Traditionally, primary schools have played a significant role in the faith formation of their pupils and this is still the case. The colleges of education, in recognition of this reality, aim to prepare student teachers to be able to mediate religious education curricula.

The content of the bachelor of education programme is currently a matter for the individual colleges of education. The bachelor of education courses provided by the colleges of education include compulsory modules on religious education. The content of these courses varies between the different institutions and, in general, has a strong focus on methodology. They aim to ensure that student teachers understand the spiritual and religious development of the primary school child in a general sense and that they are aware of the content and methodologies of the programmes developed by the Catholic church, the board of education of the general synod of the Church of Ireland and Educate Together.

They also aim to ensure that the student teachers are enabled to plan a religious education programme which can be applied in schools of varying traditions and ethos. In recent years, my Department has funded a pilot project which involved representatives from Educate Together and the colleges working together to develop material on the ethical education programme Learn Together for inclusion in the colleges' modules. Currently, there is no separate qualification for primary teaching available in the State which does not include religious education.

Teaching practice is also an essential part of the learning and assessment process for bachelor of education students. On teaching practice, students generally teach all primary school subjects which include, for example, in the case of denominational primary schools, religious education, and in Educate Together schools, the ethical education programme Learn Together.

In general, the colleges of education accept students of all faiths and none on the bachelor of education programme and entry is based on points achieved in the leaving certificate examination. On foot of the Deputy's question, my Department asked the colleges of education whether a student has ever objected on grounds of religious belief or non-belief or other grounds of conscience to participating in faith formation and if so, what steps had been, or would be, taken. The responses received from the colleges so far have indicated that this has not arisen to date. In response, some of the colleges pointed out that course content is constantly reviewed and updated to respond to the changing educational landscape and the needs of Irish society generally.

Some of the colleges of education also offer an optional certificate in religion programme which is separate from the bachelor of education and is recognised by the Irish Catholic hierarchy as appropriate preparation for teachers to teach religious education in primary schools in that sector. This is required as a condition of employment in particular schools. The Teaching Council, which is responsible for the maintenance of standards in teaching and registering teachers, does not require a separate qualification in religious studies for registration as a primary school teacher. The situation with the Church of Ireland College of Education is somewhat different as its remit is to provide teachers for the Protestant primary school sector and it may reserve places on the bachelor of education for students from Protestant backgrounds.

The Teaching Council, which has statutory responsibility for the review and accreditation of programmes of initial teacher education, has recently initiated reviews of a range of issues in the area.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The reply the Minister of State just gave is contrary to, and in contravention of, the Constitution. Article 44.2.1° states: "Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen." Article 44.2.2° states: "The State guarantees not to endow any religion." Article 44.2.3° states: "The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status."

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I do not believe he was referring to-----

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I was drawing the Minister of State's attention to that. He seemed to be mathematically challenged earlier and I wanted to assist him.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Who is mathematically challenged?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I got that impression, perhaps my hearing is poor.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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To whom was the Deputy referring?

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I was referring to the Minister of State. Will he answer the question?

Does the Minister of State agree that students attending teacher training colleges endowed by the State are required to take religious modules and that it may be in contravention of their constitutional right to freedom of conscience?

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I do not know whether I am mathematically challenged. I am legally challenged because I believe I am the only non-lawyer in my family.

Since the Deputy has raised a very significant constitutional issue, the best thing for me to do is to refer the matter to the Attorney General to see whether he believes the Deputy is correct. Obviously, I cannot answer the question. I do not see how it is in conflict with the Constitution but if the Deputy believes it is, I will have it checked out.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Does the Minister of State not agree that by endowing the four teacher training colleges, all of which are of the Christian denomination, that the State is endowing religion? I will give the Minister of State an example of where a person doing a post-graduate course chose to opt out of the religious component of the post-graduate degree. The person was told the college knew he or she did not agree but was asked to go along with it because the college required him or her to do it. Does that position not violate the principles of this republic in the 21st century?

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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While the issue the Deputy raises clearly concerns a person's freedom of conscience, the matter would have to be examined. I suspect in the case cited that it would be impossible for a college to force someone to take a subject if a genuine issue of conscience arose. That is my instinctive view of how the Supreme Court would treat a case of this nature, although I cannot be definitive on the matter. If the Deputy provides me with details of the case, I will notify them to the Attorney General for a response.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The net point is that if a person who qualifies under the CAO points system to train as a teacher in one of the Roman Catholic teaching colleges, which are entirely endowed by the State through taxpayers' money, requests on freedom of conscience grounds to opt out of the religious modules of a teacher training course, does he or she have a right, in conscience and under the Constitution and regulations governing the Department, to participate in that teacher training course and graduate without being compulsorily required to do the teacher training modules in areas of religion, faith formation and, specifically, to take classes for holy communion and confirmation?

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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While this may be a constitutional issue which would require clarification, in terms of a person's ability to teach within our system I suspect that, as 96% of primary schools are religious, it would be a requirement that a teacher be able to teach the subject to which the Deputy refers given that it is part of the curriculum. I do not believe a case has arisen to date of a person in this particular circumstances. The issue is effectively untried and untested in that no one of a strong humanist mind has presented.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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That is what we used to say about child abuse.