This book focuses on the place of religion in the Irish education system from the perspective of children's rights and citizenship. Offering a critical analysis of the political, cultural and social forces that have perpetuated the system, it looks at how the denominational model has been adapted to religious and cultural diversity in the wake of increased immigration and secularisation in Irish society, and shows that recent changes have failed to address discrimination and the absence of respect for freedom of conscience.The book relates current debates on the denominational system and the role of the State in education to Irish political thought and conceptions of national identity, showing that these debates reflect a tension between nationalist-communitarian and republican outlooks. The patronage model, historically an institutional device that allowed for Church control of state-funded schools, has been turned into a form of public-private partnership, while still largely fulfilling the purpose for which it was set up originally. As a result, and despite efforts against instances of discrimination within the system, Irish educational structures continue to privilege communal and private interests and hierarchies over equal rights.Schools and the politics of religion and diversity in the Republic of Ireland will be essential reading for students and researchers in the fields of education policy and Church/State relations in Ireland or in comparative perspective. It will also engage non-academic audiences with an interest in Irish education.
