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Classroom Hero: It's hard to fit in when you're made to stand out
100 pages, Paperback
Published October 4, 2024
3 people want to read
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October 11, 2024
This debut children's novel from Irish writer David Graham offers insight into an experience that, to my knowledge, has never before been written about in Irish fiction - the experience of a child opted out of religion instruction in a Catholic primary school in Ireland.
Ireland's education system is unique among western developed countries, in the sense that its primary schools are almost exclusively run by religious bodies, where faith formation (religious indoctrination) permeates the school day and the curriculum.
88.4% of primary schools are Catholic ethos, 95% in total are religious, with fewer than 5% of schools being multi-denominational. Children attending 95% of schools are overwhelmingly required to remain in the classroom for prayers, religious worship and faith formation, which takes up 30 minutes of every day, despite having a constitutional right not to be present.
In the story, Fionn is an 8 year old boy in 2nd Class and he is the only child "opted out" of religious instruction. Every day for 30 minutes, he is forced to sit at the back of the class while his classmates do religious lessons and prepare for the sacrament of Communion.
When a priest visits the classroom (as happens in Irish schools), he asks the children to raise their hand if they are making their Communion. When Fionn doesn't raise his hand, the priest asks if he thinks he is some kind of hero.
The story, aimed at children of this age, deals sensitively and thoughtfully which what is a really difficult issue for many families in Ireland who do not subscribe to the Catholic faith, and who struggle with the ostracism that comes with that for their children in their everyday school lives.
It's a book that should be read by teachers and educators, by principals and parents, and by children, to understand what inclusion truly means and how we fall so far short of it in Irish schools. I felt it captured my children's experience poignantly and acutely.
My 8 year old (himself opted out) brought it to school to read and took real pride in seeing himself represented in the pages of a book aimed at his age group. He loved the story, he found it funny and relatable. He said he had to dock a star because it didn't feature a rollercoaster at Fun Land (you'll have to read it to understand that reference!) but he loved the ending and said he feels glad that he himself is not alone in his class.
The book shines a light on a real issue in Irish education that is mostly ignored or minimised, but in respect of which real momentum for change is gathering. David should be commended for bringing it to the fore with Classroom Hero.
Many thanks to the author who gave me an early copy for us to read at home. I bought a copy myself from Lettertec to provide to our school. The book can also be bought from Amazon.com.
Ireland's education system is unique among western developed countries, in the sense that its primary schools are almost exclusively run by religious bodies, where faith formation (religious indoctrination) permeates the school day and the curriculum.
88.4% of primary schools are Catholic ethos, 95% in total are religious, with fewer than 5% of schools being multi-denominational. Children attending 95% of schools are overwhelmingly required to remain in the classroom for prayers, religious worship and faith formation, which takes up 30 minutes of every day, despite having a constitutional right not to be present.
In the story, Fionn is an 8 year old boy in 2nd Class and he is the only child "opted out" of religious instruction. Every day for 30 minutes, he is forced to sit at the back of the class while his classmates do religious lessons and prepare for the sacrament of Communion.
When a priest visits the classroom (as happens in Irish schools), he asks the children to raise their hand if they are making their Communion. When Fionn doesn't raise his hand, the priest asks if he thinks he is some kind of hero.
The story, aimed at children of this age, deals sensitively and thoughtfully which what is a really difficult issue for many families in Ireland who do not subscribe to the Catholic faith, and who struggle with the ostracism that comes with that for their children in their everyday school lives.
It's a book that should be read by teachers and educators, by principals and parents, and by children, to understand what inclusion truly means and how we fall so far short of it in Irish schools. I felt it captured my children's experience poignantly and acutely.
My 8 year old (himself opted out) brought it to school to read and took real pride in seeing himself represented in the pages of a book aimed at his age group. He loved the story, he found it funny and relatable. He said he had to dock a star because it didn't feature a rollercoaster at Fun Land (you'll have to read it to understand that reference!) but he loved the ending and said he feels glad that he himself is not alone in his class.
The book shines a light on a real issue in Irish education that is mostly ignored or minimised, but in respect of which real momentum for change is gathering. David should be commended for bringing it to the fore with Classroom Hero.
Many thanks to the author who gave me an early copy for us to read at home. I bought a copy myself from Lettertec to provide to our school. The book can also be bought from Amazon.com.
Displaying 1 of 1 review