Religion and spirituality receive short shrift in new primary school curriculum

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), an advisory body for the Minister of Education, is currently tasked with reviewing the 1999 Primary School Curriculum. One of the proposed changes is the almost complete removal of spirituality and religion as an aspect of human existence from the ‘wellbeing’ course.

In this blog I will highlight some significant differences between the current curriculum and the draft proposal.

The 1999 curriculum, in the chapter “Key issues in primary education”, includes a section on “the spiritual dimension” that states: “The curriculum takes cognisance of the affective, aesthetic, spiritual, moral and religious dimensions of the child’s experience and development. For most people in Ireland, the totality of the human condition cannot be understood or explained merely in terms of physical and social experience.”

It goes on: “The spiritual dimension of life expresses itself in a search for truth and in the quest for a transcendent element within human experience. The importance that the curriculum attributes to the child’s spiritual development is expressed through the breadth of learning experiences the curriculum offers, through the inclusion of religious education as one of the areas of the curriculum, and through the child’s engagement with the aesthetic and affective domains of learning.” (p. 27)

In the draft new curriculum, the above section on the “spiritual dimension” has disappeared.

The new curriculum has seven key competencies, one of which is “being well”, defined in the framework as: “This competency develops children’s understanding and appreciation of wellbeing and their ability to be as healthy as they can be – physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.   … It also recognises the spiritual dimension of living, which enables children to experience a sense of awe and wonder and to know that life has a meaning”. (p. 11)

However, this general mention of spirituality in the framework disappears after a few pages. The seven key competencies, which are broad and general, are developed into different subjects.

The “Wellbeing” subject includes Physical Education (PE) and also Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE). As per the description above, spirituality should be included in the Wellbeing subject, and this was the case in the 1999 curriculum.

But the new draft states: “Wellbeing supports children’s social, emotional, and physical development now and into the future.” (p. 17) Note the exclusion of spiritual development.

In the new draft specification of the “Wellbeing” course there is no activity or learning experience linked to spiritual wellbeing.

This is despite all the evidence that religious practice contributes to wellbeing. (Professor Patricia Casey produced for the Iona Institute a paper on this topic, called “The Psycho-Social Benefits of Religious Practice.)

As Dr Amalee Meehan, a professor of education from DCU, says in a submission to the NCCA at an earlier stage in the process: “There is a difficulty with the conception of wellbeing as a distinct curricular area. The research shows that every aspect of education, at its best, can foster wellbeing. It is important to note the strong research base identifying a direct correlation between participating in a religious tradition and wellbeing.”

While schools develop their religion and ethics education courses according to their own patrons, the positive effect that spirituality has on mental health and wellbeing should be taught in every school, and this was the case in the old curriculum.

As part of the consultation, the NCCA asked parents and educators to comment on the draft framework and some of them have noticed the removal of spirituality. Here are some examples of their comments:

“Please do not dumb down the importance of religion and spirituality in the education system – surely when you’re trying to provide a holistic education you can’t disregard the emotional benefits of spirituality.”

“I believe this new framework is being used as an opportunity to further degrade the role of religion and spirituality in a child’s life. Explain how this will contribute to their well-being?”

“There is talk in the 1999 curriculum of the spiritual, moral and religious side of the child, there is a holistic perspective on the child – this view is much less in the current curriculum and there is no reason given for this shift, while the vast majority of the population in Ireland belong to a religious tradition. Navigating difference is going to be very important in the future but knowing and appreciating one’s own identity is essential in this process and the religious, spiritual and moral is an important aspect of the identity of the child – this does not appear to be reflected in the document and this is worrying.“

The NCCA has proposed a reduction in time allocated for religious education while the allocated time for the “Wellbeing” subject has been doubled in comparison to the 1999 curriculum, and new areas of learning have been introduced, such as consent, diversity in family structures, and media/digital wellbeing.

Whilst removing spirituality, the new wellbeing curriculum also fosters political activism at primary level. A new strand of the course is called “community and belonging”. Under the heading of “Inclusive education and diversity”, this is what is presented as examples of wellbeing: “Fostering a culture based on human rights, democracy, equity, equality, and social justice. Challenging stereotypes and misconceptions, and promoting empathy, respect, and multi-perspectivity. Recognising and celebrating the diversity present within the classroom and in wider society”. (p. 2)

Besides the consideration whether this is appropriate for primary school students, this strand overlaps with another course called “Social and environmental education”.

The substitution of spirituality in the wellbeing course with political activism is an ideological shift that overlooks the substantial evidence demonstrating the importance of spiritual cultivation for overall wellbeing, both individually and collectively.

The consultation process is open until June 7 and submissions can be made via this link.

EP.1 DI PARTITOCRAZIA: Referendum irlandese del 17 marzo 2024

Sono stato intervistato dagli amici di Radio Notting Hill.

Irish medical bodies almost uniformly against euthanasia

 

The Irish Medical Council recently dropped from its ethical guidelines the prohibition on doctors deliberately killing their patients. It is hard to believe they are not paving the way for euthanasia. However, they made this change without properly consulting their members. However, most of the bodies representing the medical profession in Ireland remain firmly opposed. This was confirmed after the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying  in favour of the practice were published recently. They claim that legislating for assisted suicide is harmful and contravenes good medical practice.

The bodies that pushed back against the recommendations are the Irish Association of Palliative Care, the Irish Palliative Care Consultants’ Association, the Royal College of Physicians and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.

The Irish Association of Palliative Care stated: “We do not support any change in the law to legalize euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide. Palliative care should exclude any action or treatment designed to cause a patient’s death.”

Instead of euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation, they advocate for “an emphasis on enabling dignified dying, delivered through the provision of palliative care, to help people live well until they die. The focus should be on ensuring that patients have access to resources and information about their end of life and dying.”

The Irish Palliative Care Consultants Association also expressed deep disappointment with the majority report of the Committee, claiming that ‘assisted dying’ will inevitably and disproportionately place vulnerable people at risk. “In a progressive and inclusive society, we believe the fears and challenges of life-limiting illnesses, particularly if they lead to a wish to die, should be responded to with better care rather than facilitating an early death. In view of this, we do not feel that legislating for assisted dying is the appropriate answer to address these concerns”.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) said they “oppose the introduction of any legislation supportive of assisted suicide because it is contrary to medical practice.” The RCPI, which has more than 11,000 members, is the largest postgraduate medical training and professional body in Ireland.

Dr. Feargal Twomey, Chair of the RCPI expert group and a Consultant in Palliative Medicine, added: “The introduction of legislation on assisted suicide has the potential for immense harm and unintended consequences, and our view is that the potential harms outweigh the arguments in favor of legislation for assisted suicide.” Dr. Twomey, who presented to the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying last October, stated: “My concern about the inability for safeguards to be maintained leads me to say the only true safeguard is that the law does not change.”

Another critical response came from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. They said that the recommendations of the Committee “undermine Irish society’s strong focus on suicide prevention policy” and believe that Ireland “can do better in providing compassionate care to those who are dying than to introduce assisted suicide and euthanasia.”

The consistent opposition from these medical professional bodies, who confront end-of-life situations daily, underscores a profound understanding of the complexities and the ill effects involved in legislating for euthanasia or assisted suicide.

Given their expertise and the concerns they raise, it is essential for lawmakers and the public to reflect deeply on these perspectives before taking any decision on these matters.

A Draft Manifesto of the Suburban Romantics

From my friend Maolscheachlann.

A Draft Manifesto of the Suburban Romantics

1) The Suburban Romantics are on the side of life.

2) The Suburban Romantics favour all the poetic conventions that were the poet's stock-in-trade up to the day before yesterday, especially rhyme and metre.

3) The Suburban Romantics believe that traditional poetic forms (such as blank verse, the sonnet, the ode, the villanelle etc.) are just as valid in the twenty-first century as they were in the seventeenth, eighteenth or nineteenth centuries.

4) The Suburban Romantics do not agree with Thoreau that “the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation”, or with Wilde that “most people exist, that is all”. We celebrate the routine, the ordinary, the workaday, the familiar.

5) The Suburban Romantics are not afraid of sentimentality or nostalgia, nor are we afraid of challenging or subverting sentimentality or nostalgia.

6) The Suburban Romantics do not genuflect before any transitory socio-political orthodoxies.

7) The Suburban Romantics want to evoke mystery, not practice mystification.

8) The Suburban Romantics are nourished at the wells of myth, legend, archetype, the sacred, the proverbial, the folkloric, the sacramental, and so on.

9) The Suburban Romantics do not disdain the topical, the ephemeral, the colloquial, the commercial, and so on.

10) The Suburban Romantics accept that the great majority of people (and perhaps an ever-increasing majority) are destined to live in suburbs, conurbations, commuter towns, housing estates, and so on. We insist that these can be the subject and setting of poetry; not just the poetry of satire and protest, but the poetry of affirmation and celebration as well. We seek the re-enchantment of the world, the transfiguration of the commonplace.

11) The Suburban Romantics have a special respect for Philip Larkin and John Betjeman, who demonstrated beyond all doubt that traditional forms can be used to explore contemporary life.

12) The Suburban Romantics are quite willing to use irony, but not to live in it as our natural element.

13) Suburban Romanticism is not a straitjacket. We do not preclude forays into free verse, rural themes, bleakness, misanthropy, obscurity, or any of the things against which this manifesto is a riposte. But they should be the exception, not the rule. 

The organisation that offers abortion ceremonies

 

Recently, I revealed the rapid increase in what might broadly be called ‘New Age’ wedding ceremonies in Ireland presided over by various non-denominational organisations. But wedding services are not all they provide. At least one group offers ceremonies to mark abortion, divorce, and “preparation for dying”. It would have been also unimaginable until very recently that a ceremony would be offered to mark, or even celebrate, an abortion, but this is the point we have reached.

The organisation is called ‘Entheos Ireland’. It presides over hundreds of marriages per year, having been founded just three years ago.

In the “ceremonies of threshold and transition” section of their website, they also outline ceremonies that “have their roots in beginnings, such as Renaming, Gender Affirmation, Coming-of-age, New Career”, in addition to ones that “stem from endings, such as Abortion, Divorce, Retirement”.

To this list must be added “preparation for dying” services, which are distinct from funerals.

Abortion or “preparation for dying” celebrations sound quite shocking, but not surprising when we explore who is behind these new ceremonies.

Entheos Ireland was launched in 2021 by Karen Dempsey. Dempsey is a pro-choice activist who was involved in the Repeal the 8^th referendum campaign. At the time, she was one of the 25 women who dressed as red handmaidens (inspired by the book, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’), and marched to the Dail in an event organised by the Socialist feminist group ROSA, one of the most radical pro-choice groups.

(She also protested against the removal of a pro-abortion mural from the Project’s Art Centre a few years ago. See here)

Entheos describes “preparation for dying” ceremonies as follows: “Our End of Life sessions create a space for the psychological and spiritual exploration needed for individuals and families facing death.  …  Actively engaging with the process of dying can be both liberating and comforting, and can help to relieve the anxiety of dying with important things left unsaid and undone.”

Interestingly, one of their solemnisers is Janie Lazar, the chair of the pro-euthanasia organisation End of Life Ireland.

We can envisage that if assisted suicide or euthanasia are legalised in Ireland, groups such as Entheos will offer ceremonies to go along with them. Some might be shocked, but in Canada there is at least one church that hosts assisted suicide ceremonies on its premises.

Entheos does not promote a specific faith, but their solemnisers are registered with the HSE as “religious”. They are akin to religious ministers without a regular congregation, performing ceremonies upon request. This is a new form of “liquid spirituality”, which requires no strong commitment or beliefs. Anything goes.

“I would rather not have the word religious involved with us,” said its founder Karen Dempsey in a recent interview. The interviewer says that “the designation as ‘religious’ is a useful loophole [in the relevant regulations]. It allows Entheos’ celebrants to incorporate elements of faith into people’s ceremonies … in a way that a totally secular officiating body could not.”

The organisation already has 65 celebrants registered with the HSE and over 80 people on the waiting list for their training sessions, which costs €2,500. This emergent market can be quite profitable, with an average fee of €600 for a wedding and €280 for funerals and other ceremonies.

The rise of these ‘New Age’ ceremonies indicates that people still want a spiritual element in the key moments of their lives. But apart from funerals, traditional religions have always offered these ‘rites of passage’ at positive moments like when a baby is born, or a couple get married. The emerging spirituality adds much less positive events like abortion and divorce to the list of possible rites of passage, and probably in time, euthanasia as well.

The huge rise of ‘New Age’ weddings in Ireland

 

While the number of Catholic marriages in Ireland is steeply declining, new data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) highlights the rise of ceremonies belonging to “other religious denominations”, to use the CSO’s term. Now, you might think this means Muslim ceremonies, or perhaps those that take place in African Pentecostal churches, but these account for only a tiny fraction of the total (see table below). The vast majority of the ceremonies, in fact, really belong under the very broad heading ‘New Age’. They increased from 5.3pc of the total in 2018 to 15.8pc last year, growing from 1,009 to 3,259 in absolute numbers — a three-fold increase in just five years. 

The ceremonies incorporate elements from many different religions, as a couple choose. They can be extremely eclectic. There is no particular coherence to them in that they don’t come from a systematic religious worldview that can be called ‘Christian’, or Buddhist’, or ‘Muslim’ or ‘Hindu’. This is why the term ‘New Age’ might be most appropriate, even if some who act as the celebrants themselves, or even the couples involved, might resist the label. We use it here for short-hand.

To the category “other religious ceremonies” must be added ‘Spiritualist’ ones, which were nonexistent ten years ago and are not included in the “other religious” cohort by the CSO. These now account for 7.9pc of all marriages and also borrow from any and all religions depending on the taste of the couple.

This means what can very broadly be termed ‘New Age’ or ‘spiritual’ wedding ceremonies now account for almost a quarter of all weddings in Ireland.

The majority of these ceremonies are conducted by brand new organisations, the Spiritualist Union of Ireland being one. 

Another is ‘Entheos Ireland’, which only registered with the HSE three years ago. According to data provided to the Iona Institute by the CSO, Entheos ministries officiated at 623 marriages in 2023. They currently have 81 solemnisers approved by the State, compared with only five Muslim solemnisers and about 20 from various Orthodox churches.

Spiritual groups such as Entheos and One Spirit tailor their religious ceremonies to the preferences of the spouses, presenting themselves as 'inclusive, embracing people of every faith and none,' without referencing any specific deity or belief system unless requested.

Entheos says it was founded “to serve people who have been ostracised, marginalised or otherwise left behind by traditional faith paths on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, parental / family status or any other reason.”

Another group is ‘One Spirit Interfaith Ministers’. They describe themselves as “ordained interfaith ministers embodying a vibrant and meaningful response to the changing spiritual needs of our times.” They say they are “of service to people of all faiths and none.”

There are many other similar groups offering their services to engaged couples including ‘The Earth Spiritualist Tradition’, ‘One Spirit Ireland’, and ‘One World Ministers’.

Many of the ‘New Age’ wedding ceremonies involved couples or individuals entering a second or third marriage. Data provided to the Iona Institute by the CSO reveal that the number of first marriages among “other religious” ceremonies is significantly lower than among traditional Christian denominations, likely because these groups also offer ceremonies for divorced individuals, which may partly explain their growing popularity. They are also very popular among same-sex couples. Of the 646 same-sex marriages celebrated in 2023, 145 (22pc) were with “other religion” ceremonies and 70 (11pc) with Spiritualist ones.

The rise of non-denominational religious ceremonies is a new trend that reveals the need to mark important events in life with some form of non-institutional religious rituals. Those who feel they do not belong to a religion, often still have religious beliefs of some sort and these new organisations (which charge €600 on average for a wedding) are emerging to satisfy their needs.

As for the broader picture, last year there were 20,513 opposite-sex marriages in Ireland, and 646 involving same-sex couples. Of the opposite-sex ones, 86pc were first marriages, a slight decline from 88pc in 2013. Our marriage rate last year was 4.0 per 1,000 adults—one of the lowest rates in Europe and a decrease from 4.5 ten years ago.  In other words, fewer people are getting married but the percentage of those who remarried after a divorce has increased.

The proportion of marriages conducted through religious ceremonies has obviously decreased, representing 60pc of all marriages last year, down from 70.5pc in 2013. Notably, Catholic marriages have dramatically declined from 62.5pc a decade ago to just 35.3pc in 2023.

Among first marriages, 40pc were celebrated in a Catholic church.

The face of marriage in Ireland is indeed changing very rapidly and the rise in ‘New Age’ ceremonies reflects the drift away from institutional religion of all types. At the same time, there is still clearly a taste for wedding ceremonies to have religious or ‘spiritual’ trappings of some sort and therefore we are not becoming as secular as some people think.

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“Other religious” solemnisers