Religion could be dropped as a core subject in primary schools

The proposals are set to be launched next month.

New proposals could see religion being dropped as a core subject in Irish primary schools across the country. The move would give schools the flexibility to decide how much time they spend teaching religion as part of flexible time. The proposals are set to be launched next month with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) saying 60% of each school day could be set aside for teaching core curriculum such as English, Irish and Maths according to The Irish Times. The remaining 40% of the day would be designated as “flexible time” for roll call, assembly, and discretionary time. Speaking on Newstalk breakfast, Irish Times education editor Carl O'Brien said:

"A school could prioritise literacy or numeracy or maybe coding – which is going to be a new subject potentially for children at primary school level – in favour of religious education so it really gives schools much greater freedom for the time allocation on religion."

Under the new proposals, schools would be allowed to choose how much time they spend teaching their students religion. The new proposals also suggest that the earlier years of a child's education will be more focused on creative play with less emphasis on broader subjects until later years.