Ireland’s future education system should resist ideological capture and short-term fashion, the National Conversation on Education led by the Dept. of Education has been told in a submission from the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) the umbrella body representing all Catholic education organisations north and south.
“Ethos matters” says the CEP submission, “as education is never value-neutral, and when values are unnamed, they are imposed without accountability … Catholic schools exist not only for Catholics, but for all who choose them, with welcome and equal dignity for every student and respect for difference.”
It added that education “should pursue an integral humanism, rooted in the dignity of every child, honouring parental primacy, supporting real plurality of ethos, and investing in teacher formation and leadership. If we do that, we will have an education worthy of the child, and a society capable of hope.”
The CEP was established in 2020 and has a mandate for primary, post-primary, third level and adult education issues. It’s CEO is Mr Alan Hynes-Cendrzak.
The CEP suggests that the National Conversation -which was inaugurated on January 14, 2026 as a “once-in-a-generation” initiative to shape the future of the Irish education system – should begin with a question: what is education for?
“Answering this from a Catholic perspective” it says “education is ordered to the flourishing of the person and to the common good. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God and therefore the child is not a unit of labour or a set of measurable outputs. Each is a person with a face, a story, and a vocation. The measure of an education system is therefore not only results, but the kind of person it helps to form: truthful, resilient, compassionate, and capable of responsibility.”
It adds: “These priorities have direct implications for curriculum. Education and pupil wellbeing are at their best when they support self-knowledge, empathy, responsibility, and healthy relationships. A holistic approach must include the spiritual dimension, the role of family, and the role of school ethos in shaping dispositions and values. Human rights are of central concern, but must be paired with duties, otherwise it collapses into an ‘I’ centred horizon. Religious Education has an important role in this respect by fostering the holistic development of students – intellectually, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and morally – and by exploring diverse belief systems, including religious and non-religious perspectives. It promotes respect for diversity in an increasingly pluralistic society, while supporting students’ search for meaning.
Pointing to the Church’s Global Compact on Education the submission says it is “an invitation to all of civic society to participate in securing seven key priorities: the human person at the centre of education; listening to young people; promoting the dignity and full participation of women; recognising the family as the first educator; opening ourselves to welcome and inclusion; renewing the economy and politics in the service of humanity; and caring for our common home. These priorities align formation with justice and ecological responsibility.”
