Diocesan News14 Nov 11

Bishop of Cork contributes Chapter to European Publication on Religion in Public Education

 The Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Paul Colton, has contributed the Irish chapter to a new book – Religion in Public Education: La Religion dans l’ éducation publique – edited by Professor Gerhard Robbers of the University of Trier, and published recently in Germany by the European Consortium for Church and State Research.

The book includes an overview of the place accorded to religion in the public education system in each State of the European Union.  Each chapter (including Bishop Colton’s Religion in Public Education in Ireland) describes the education system in the State; and focuses, in particular, on religious education, enrolment, religious symbols and dress, blessing of school buildings, liturgies and religious practice in schools, religious holidays, and  provision for those who are not religious.