Page 19 - Welcome to CEIST

What about Religious Education? Is it compulsory in a Catholic school?
Religious Education is understood in CEIST schools, to be part of a broad
and balanced curriculum. This is similar to what pertains in most Irish schools and indeed throughout Europe. It prepares students for life by ensuring they know and understand not only their own faith but also the faiths and traditions of others. It also gives invaluable space to students to reflect on their own lives and on the meaning of their own lives. In this way it is in line with and richly connected to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s Guidelines for Wellbeing (NCCA, 2017).
As with all subjects, the study of Religious Education in our schools is guided in large part by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. At Junior Cycle, this means the Junior Cycle Religious Education Specification (NCCA, 2019). At Senior Cycle, it means students study either Religious Education at examination or non-examination level. (See NCCA.ie for more information at https://curriculumonline.ie/Senior -cycle/LCA/Religious-Education/
Students enjoy Religious Education as a space that is a little bit different to other subjects; we find in our schools that it provides a rich space for dialogue, for learning and for personal growth. For this reason, we encourage students to participate fully in this subject in our schools. However, as stated in the Admissions Policies for all CEIST schools,
should any parent wish to withdraw their child or children from Religious Education, a meeting with the principal to discuss this request can be arranged. As stated previously we absolutely respect parents as the primary educators of their children and so engage fully with requests from parents to withdraw their children from RE.