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Teacher fired from primary school for not being baptised

12:04 02/07/2015

The Boodschapinstituut, a primary school in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek, has fired a teacher because she has never been baptised. The school belongs to the Flemish Catholic education network (VSKO). 

The school director and staff were aware that the teacher, who has worked at the school just one year, was not baptised, and other teachers filled in for her for the teaching of Christian religions. VSKO requires every teacher in the network who gives classes in religion to provide a baptism certificate.

Some teachers in secondary education who do not give classes on religion do not have certificates on record, but pre-school and primary school teachers have more of a multi-task work day and are expected to be able to lead classes on religion.

“One of my teachers who has been working here for three years is able to receive a permanent contract, but I must let one of the other teachers go,” director Els Merens wrote in an email to parents. “I have decided to end Ilse’s contract because she is not baptised, which is a requirement in the Catholic education system.”

“The constant need to find teachers to replace her for the religion classes was probably the reason why the director of this school didn’t extend the teacher’s contract,” said Patrick Loobuyck, a religion scientist associated with Antwerp and Ghent universities. “It was the easiest solution.”

According to Loobuyck, the move is perfectly legal. “The Catholic education network has a strong philosophical and ideological identity. Legally speaking, it has the right to discriminate based on religious criteria.”

Written by Senne Starckx

Comments

adyepj

Maybe legal, but doesn't common sense have a role here? What difference can it possibly make to one's ability to teach religion, whether or not one was baptised when wasn't even old enough to comprehend what was going on? Yet another asinine doctrine which again demonstrates that the Catholic church is totally out of touch with reality.

Jul 2, 2015 14:25
ellie

People here tend to be reactive instead of proactive. If it is a Catholic school it is time to put some proactive measures in place to baptise one if the need arises. Instead of taking away her daily bread.

Jul 2, 2015 15:38
Mikek1300gt

Just extraordinary. And this is the Capitol of the EU?!

Jul 2, 2015 20:25
CC_R

Have a friend in UK refused a job as head of RE subject she has studied past degree level because she wasn't Catholic and it was a catholic school. So that is the Catholics for you and why I voted with my feet and became a Buddhist

Jul 4, 2015 08:45