Testing Faith: A Study of Religion and Education in Irish Primary Schools

Abstract

Despite changes in religious affiliation and devotion in recent years, the primary school system in Ireland remains largely denominational, with the majority of its schools being run by the Catholic Church. This study examines the relationship between religion and education in Irish primary schools using both quantitative data analysis from the Growing Up in Ireland study as well as interviews that were conducted with current parents and educators. It aims to observe how measures of religiosity found in children and parents relate to the academic performance of Irish children and their attitudes toward various aspects of school. Interviewees indicated that they do not see religion as impacting children’s school performance, but data results showed that there is a relationship between religiousness and some aspects of the school experience, suggesting that there may be an underlying influence of religion in Irish society that is impacting children.