Teenage girl refused place at school following pregnancy

[Beebub]

No you misunderstand. The school in question is co-educational. He was asking was the fact that there were boys in his school the reason why she wanted to go there. He was basically calling her a slut. In writing.

[chemicals]

He was basically calling her a slut. In writing.

or he was wondering if the "father of the child" was one of his pupils and that was the real reason she wanted to attend the school - to be near him ????

[paolovf]

It's only when cases like this hit the front page of the newspapers, does the general public stop for 30 seconds to consider the statues quo.

Unfortunately this is how things tend to transpire when a minority is involved. The majority are slow to react unless some sort of atrocity occurs and even then most lose interest soon after.

Luckily there are groups like Atheist Ireland who realise the issues that exist in our educational system and are putting pressure on the government. It seems to me like Minister Quinn (and others) are trying to some extent. If we could draw some empathy from the average Catholic parent overnight we'd be laughing, but for now they are getting what they want and that's all that matters.

[Beebub]

He was basically calling her a slut. In writing.

or he was wondering if the "father of the child" was one of his pupils and that was the real reason she wanted to attend the school - to be near him ????

No. I think it's pretty clear from the report that he was suggesting she wanted to go to that school rather than the others because there were boys at his school and not at the others.

[aZerogodist]

this ethos rubbish is just another word for discrimination - social and religious. I hope she sues the patron/principal/owner who ever that is.

I agree.

In response to puck, there are no guidelines for what the school-ethos is, ask any school exactly what it is, what is acceptable and what isn't, and you'll get some blank non-info response, because basically it depends on the principle/bishop-patron, so one school; that's ok, sure wasn't 15 yr old Mary unmarried when implanted with baby-jesus, another principle, she should be stoned to death, can't have that sort of thing in our school, as our catholic ethos is baised on the love of jesus Holy christ
Unless puck you have a definitive description/explanation of what the catholic or COI school ethos is, I'ld love to hear it.

What really gets me is;
1. The ombusman is basically powerless, I assume this is the ombusmann for children & child protection, and can only recommend creation of a state law to protect underage/unmarried students in state funded schools. (even if a school is private it still has to abide by law of the land and also recieves grants)

2. The Department of Education should be disbanded and all given the sack without pensions, then a new department formed whose primary mission would be to put childrens wellfare above all else, above any form of prejudice, ethotic disrimination, political/religous influrence and secondary mission to mantain/own and fully govern all schools in Ireland, and if they say boo to a school principle, the principle will shiver.
I relalise we do have great motivated people in the dep of Ed, but the dep of Ed might as well not exist, it's like it's bound and gagged, scrap it or free it from it's restraints, imo it's just too injured/damaged