Progress: Rule on priority of primary-level religion classes to go

Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan is to remove a 50-year old official rule which gives religion classes a privileged status, paving the way for a potential reduction in time spent on faith formation.
At present, 30 minutes of each primary school day is allocated to religious education – twice the amount of time devoted to subjects such as science or physical education.
Speaking on Tuesday night, Ms O’Sullivan said she will move next month to repeal “rule 68”, which states that religious instruction is “by far the most important” part of the school curriculum.
“Rule 68 is archaic. I will repeal it,” she said. “It may have survived for 50 years, but in January it will be removed, along with any other rules that don’t speak to the diverse and welcoming nature of our modern school system.”

About time! Source: Rule on priority of primary-level religion classes to go