http://www.alliancealert.org news from the frontlines of the culture war Thu, 24 May 2012 23:12:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/24/legal-periodical-religion-and-education-in-northern-ireland/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/24/legal-periodical-religion-and-education-in-northern-ireland/#comments Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:30:50 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=93111 Religion and Education in Northern Ireland (January 16, 2011). Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2/2011. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1742144 "Since the foundation of Northern Ireland in 1920, the issue of control over primary and secondary education has been a source of significant tension between the two main ethno-religious communities in Northern Ireland, and between them and the government of Northern Ireland. Education in Northern Ireland is distinctly differently organized in Northern Ireland compared with the rest of the United Kingdom, and several of its ‘unique features’ (McKeown and Connolly, 1992, 211) arise out of the particular form of the political and religious sensitivities of education in the former. The paper is structured as follows. First, I shall outline the features of the governance of education in Northern Irish model. Second, I shall attempt to explain briefly why these features came about. Third, I shall consider research that has attempted to understand what are the effects of the model on the religious background of pupils in different schools. Fourth, I shall consider the role of teachers in this model. Fifth, I shall consider issues relating to curriculum and collective worship. Sixth, the crucial issue of school funding will be examined. Finally, I shall consider the prospects for the model in the future, by considering pupil opinion on the structure of schooling, and I shall explain how this model relates to political developments in Northern Ireland generally." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/24/legal-periodical-religion-and-education-in-northern-ireland/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/03/ireland-call-to-bring-same-sex-law-in-line-with-north/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/03/ireland-call-to-bring-same-sex-law-in-line-with-north/#comments Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:06:59 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=89376 Irish Times: "The next government should upgrade the Civil Partnership Act to bring it into line with same-sex legislation in Northern Ireland, the Church of Ireland Changing Attitude Ireland group has said." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2011/01/03/ireland-call-to-bring-same-sex-law-in-line-with-north/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/22/northern-ireland-church-slams-anti-sectarianism-plan/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/22/northern-ireland-church-slams-anti-sectarianism-plan/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:51:08 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=83443 Belfast Telegraph: "Church leaders have slammed the government's blueprint for tackling sectarianism in Northern Ireland. The Church of Ireland has told First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness that their Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI) strategy aimed at bridging community divisions will not work." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/11/22/northern-ireland-church-slams-anti-sectarianism-plan/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/22/pro-abort-org-inciting-physicians-to-commit-criminal-acts-in-n-ireland/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/22/pro-abort-org-inciting-physicians-to-commit-criminal-acts-in-n-ireland/#comments Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:52:56 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=78027 LifeSiteNews: "One of Europe’s busiest abortion agencies, the Family Planning Association (FPA), sponsored a conference in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, earlier this month, that the pro-life campaign group Precious Life said was 'absolutely outrageous' and illegal because it incited physicians to commit criminal acts. In Northern Ireland abortion remains a criminal act, except in cases where there is an immediate threat to the life of the mother." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/22/pro-abort-org-inciting-physicians-to-commit-criminal-acts-in-n-ireland/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/19/northern-ireland-row-as-first-minister-peter-robinson-attacks-catholic-schools/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/19/northern-ireland-row-as-first-minister-peter-robinson-attacks-catholic-schools/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:48:47 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=77255 The Iona Institute: "Catholic school principals have attacked First Minister Peter Robinson after he said Catholic schools foster a type of 'apartheid' and that State funding of such schools should end . . . Citing the need to cut costs, Mr Robinson had claimed it was 'absurd' to allow different education sectors, and he urged the creation of a single body to oversee all schools, the Irish Times reports." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/19/northern-ireland-row-as-first-minister-peter-robinson-attacks-catholic-schools/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/07/northern-ireland-bishops-protest-over-abortion-conference/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/07/northern-ireland-bishops-protest-over-abortion-conference/#comments Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:13:32 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=75721 Independent Catholic News: "The Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland have issued a statement protesting about the 'First All-Ireland Conference on Abortion and Clinical Practice' organised jointly by the Family Planning Association in Britain and Ireland being held today and tomorrow in the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, Northern Ireland." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/10/07/northern-ireland-bishops-protest-over-abortion-conference/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/08/20/ireland-time-to-remove-the-angelus-from-public-broadcasts-after-60-years/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/08/20/ireland-time-to-remove-the-angelus-from-public-broadcasts-after-60-years/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:00:20 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=69625 BBC: "News bulletins must wait until a minute past the hour to allow for the devotional Catholic prayer, recited in memory of the Incarnation of Jesus. The bells have been a regular feature of state broadcaster RTE's schedule since August 1950 - when they were introduced to mark the Catholic Holy Year . . . Another criticism of the Angelus broadcast is that it is by its very nature Catholic, and therefore excludes other faiths, a criticism that Ali Selim doesn't take on board . . . The debate about the Angelus in Ireland then, is not necessarily a debate between religions as to whether or not broadcasting the Angelus bells is appropriate. It's part of a wider debate on what kind of society Ireland should be - a secular or a religious one." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/08/20/ireland-time-to-remove-the-angelus-from-public-broadcasts-after-60-years/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/29/northern-ireland-pro-lifers-cautious-over-new-abortion-consultation/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/29/northern-ireland-pro-lifers-cautious-over-new-abortion-consultation/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:34:18 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/29/northern-ireland-pro-lifers-cautious-over-new-abortion-consultation/ The Christian Institute: "Pro-lifers have expressed a guarded welcome to a new consultation on abortion laws in Northern Ireland (NI). The consultation has been released by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and is the latest in a long-running legal battle over the issue." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/29/northern-ireland-pro-lifers-cautious-over-new-abortion-consultation/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/08/northern-ireland-charity-commission-puts-proposals-on-hold/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/08/northern-ireland-charity-commission-puts-proposals-on-hold/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:32:30 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/08/northern-ireland-charity-commission-puts-proposals-on-hold/ The Christian Institute: "The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) has been forced to delay its controversial proposals after concerns were raised over its legality. Last month church leaders in Northern Ireland warned that the Charity Commission’s plans could pose a threat to the charitable status of churches." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/08/northern-ireland-charity-commission-puts-proposals-on-hold/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/06/northern-ireland-protestant-teacher-awarded-8250-over-firing/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/06/northern-ireland-protestant-teacher-awarded-8250-over-firing/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:39:38 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/06/northern-ireland-protestant-teacher-awarded-8250-over-firing/ Irish Times: "A teacher who claimed she was selected for redundancy from a Co Derry primary school because she was a Protestant has won an award of £8,250 in a Fair Employment Tribunal case. ... Of the 15 teachers, 10 were Protestant and five were Catholic but of the four selected for redundancy, all were Protestant. The tribunal found that Ms Brudell 'suffered an act of discrimination on the ground of religious belief'." ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/07/06/northern-ireland-protestant-teacher-awarded-8250-over-firing/feed/ 0 http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/09/northern-ireland-charity-commission-under-fire-over-guidance-on-open-membership-criteria/ http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/09/northern-ireland-charity-commission-under-fire-over-guidance-on-open-membership-criteria/#comments Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:23:24 +0000 Admin http://www.alliancealert.org/?p=62608 ]]> http://www.alliancealert.org/2010/06/09/northern-ireland-charity-commission-under-fire-over-guidance-on-open-membership-criteria/feed/ 0