This article argues that engagement with religion is a key challenge for all leaders of schools in twenty-first-century multifaith societies. It outlines the historic and current context of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and national and European policies that prioritise community cohesion in education. The functional and substantive roles of…

Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, various charitable, endowed or "free" schools were established in Ireland with a view to providing schooling, initially for children of primary and later secondary school age, the latter being the subject of this article. Sometimes these schools were state initiatives, such as the parish…

Background: Spirituality and spiritual support for older people with intellectual disability are deemed important, however little is known about their specific needs. This paper reports for the first time on the religious and spiritual practices of older adults with intellectual disability. Methods: A national longitudinal study examined the…

In the long history of the Catholic school in Europe, it has taken various forms, linked to local cultures and to the history, particularly religious but also political, of each state. While it is possible to account for this diversity, it is also important to highlight common features and challenges, such as secularisation and globalisation,…

In Ireland access to instrumental music education (IME) largely operates through the private market. Unlike other European countries Ireland does not have a music school law or policy position. The purpose of this article is to examine how a long-established history of subsidiarity which is enshrined in the Irish Constitution together with the…

Background: Staff member's views and attitudes can have a significant impact on people with an intellectual disability. This study explores staff attitudes and experiences of people with an intellectual disability's expression of relationships and sexuality across service providers in Ireland. Methods: Staff (n = 86) from service providers (n = 5)…

Thinking sexuality education and religion together often results in antagonisms that pit religious and secular values against each other. Political theology provides new insights into this tendency by showing how modern concepts of political legitimacy are based on secularised Christian theology. Neoliberal schooling, public sexual health and…

A common decision parents face is the choice of school for their children. In Ireland, somewhat uniquely in an international context, this choice includes a large number of state-funded single-sex schools, to the point that this can be considered a realistic option for many parents. Focusing on secondary-level education and using the PISA 2018…

Internationally, student well-being is emerging as a core concern in the field of education. This article articulates an interdisciplinary perspective on well-being and examines the relationship between religion and well-being as advanced by three recent international studies. It highlights the relationship between religion and spiritual…

This essay is part of a collection of short essays solicited from authors around the globe who teach religion courses at the college level (not for professional religious training). They are published together with an introduction in "Teaching Theology and Religion" 18:3 (July 2015). The authors were asked to provide a brief overview of…

Recent decades have witnessed a change in European governments' policies from benign neglect to active management of religious diversity, where Islam is often seen as the most challenging religion for the European social order. However, the ways in which this 'management' is justified and undertaken varies from country to country and depends on…

Interest in the field of entrepreneurship is at an all-time high; coincidentally, migration is increasingly changing the landscape of employment. Many migrants find themselves facing challenges that entrepreneurial skills can help overcome. However, little remains explored within adult migrant education, especially within enterprises.…

In 2007, a new model of state-run primary schools was established in Ireland in response to growing pluralism in this country. These are publicly-managed, multidenominational schools with the Irish state, through the Education and Training Boards (ETB) as their patron. School ethos is inclusive, striving to ensure that beliefs of all children are…

Growing secularisation of the population and the arrival of new culturally and religiously diverse migrants are posing new challenges to schools in the Republic of Ireland (Ireland). These challenges are particularly acute in Irish primary schools, the majority of which are under Catholic patronage. Recent changes have necessitated an extensive…

There has been extensive research internationally describing teachers' homogenous socio-demographic backgrounds and critiquing the associated equity and diversity issues, most especially with regard to ethnicity and gender, and to a lesser extent, social class and disability. Yet, teachers' religious affiliations and/or convictions have rarely…