Educate Together launch Ireland’s first ever multi-denominational, Ethical Education Curriculum

October 4th, 2004

Carmel Mulcahy, DCU, ET Board of Directors and writer is available for interview.
 
On Wednesday the 6th October Kathleen Lynch, Chair of Equality Studies, University College Dublin and Shalini Sinha, TV
presenter and journalist, will officially launch Ireland’s first ever multi-denominational Ethical Education Curriculum for primary education in the Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, Temple Bar.  This type of curriculum has been called for by parents and teachers for many years. The curriculum is built on the concepts of human rights and responsibilities and the appreciation of the wealth of human diversity, rather than defined in exclusive denominational terms. The essential aim of this project is to give children a basic sense of social, ethical and moral standards in the areas of respect, justice, integrity, truthfulness, trust and responsibility.

Since 2001 Educate Together has been working to bring together and summarise its 27 years experience in the practical delivery of an Ethical Education Programme for Irish primary schools. This has involved the participation of all Educate Together schools and external academic input.
This booklet will be used to assist schools and help parent and teachers new to any school in the sector understand the key values involved in this form of education. It will allow us to underpin the quality of values delivery in our schools. It will also project the achievements of the sector onto a wider educational stage and validate the enormous efforts of teachers in the sector over many years. Research indicates that this will be of general interest through out the education system.

The writing team currently involved in this work encompasses some of the most influential voices within Educate Together. It is led by
Carmel Mulcahy, Dublin City University and includes Frieda McGovern, Principal of North Bay Educate Together National School, Paddie Murphy, Principal of Rathfarnham Educate Together National School and Mary Kelleher, a parent activist with many years experience of working on an Ethical Curriculum Committee in the Educate Together schools. The process has been endorsed by successive national conferences and has the full support of Educate Together’s board of directors.

Educate Together is the national representative organisation for multi-denominational education in Ireland. It is currently experiencing a huge increase in the demand for the establishment of multi-denominational schools throughout the country. Fundamental to the ethos of Educate Together schools is the belief that by providing a supportive atmosphere for children of different faiths and cultural identities in schools, we can make a major contribution to the social and ethical future of our society. Currently 99% of all primary schools available to families in Ireland are legally bound to uphold a specific religious ethos. The organisation aims to meet a growing need in Irish society for schools that recognise the developing diversity of Irish life and the modern need for democratic management structures.

ENDS