Non-baptised children bear the brunt of schools' discrimination

According to the Humanist Association of Ireland, children who haven't been baptised are being discriminated against by State-funded schools.

In response to what they feel is blatant discrimination on the part of these schools, the organisation has launched an advertising campaign to draw public attention to the issue.

Using train stations, bus shelters and other public spaces as a platform to highlight the issue, the organisation has advertised posters captioned: "Most state funded schools discriminate against children who are not baptised."

In an effort to explain what has been dubbed 'discrimination', Dr. Frank Hurl of Catholic Comment has said: "I think the only time that a baptism cert would come into play is when there's oversubscription in a particular area and that's really an issue for the Department of Education rather than the local school."

Speaking on behalf of parents who have celebrated a secular wedding and may be unlikely to baptise their children, the director of the Humaninst Association of Ireland, Brian Whiteside, says: "Last year, one third of couples getting married got married in non-religious ceremonies, and I think it's fair to ask the question: 'What sort of schools would they want for their children?"