Children’s rights organisation EQUATE is calling on voters to ask their candidates to ‘Open the School Gates’ during this year’s general election campaign, and end religious discrimination in education.

Between now and the General Election on February 26, EQUATE are calling on voters to make equality in education and ending religious discrimination in schools an election issue.

Speaking about the launch of their new awareness advert, EQUATE Executive Director Michael Barron said, “We now have an important opportunity to make education reform a core election issue. EQUATE is calling on people to ask their candidates if they will ‘Open the School Gates’. Our research shows that over 84% of people believe that our schools should be reformed so that no child is excluded because of their religion or non-religion and we want our politicians to hear this.

“We have a really easy to use campaign tool on EQUATE Ireland that lets people contact their local candidates in 3 easy steps. Every candidate in their constituency will get an email that asks them to:

• Work to change the law so local schools cannot refuse a child because of their religion.
• Work to reform the school day so all children can take part in every class.
• Campaign for a greater number of multi and non-denominational schools.

Speaking further Michael Barron said, “We all want education reform to be a key election issue and we are trying to make it as easy as possible for voters to contact their local candidates to make this happen. We have reached a national consensus on the need for these reforms, the question is no longer ‘if’ but ‘how’ and ‘when’.”

WATCH ‘OPEN THE SCHOOL GATES’ NOW:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuGXWNg4atk