Madam, - Irish children must wear uniforms when they attend school. Is this restriction of choice a violation of the individual's right to freedom of expression, a suppression of his or her culture?
Certainly not: the purpose of the uniform is to impose at least the appearance of equality, to prevent "them" and "us" lines being drawn, to stop difference resulting in discrimination.
The French have got it right: highly visible signs of religious difference divide pupils into ready-made gangs. We don't have to look far from home to see the grim results of religious gang-warfare. - Yours, etc.,
DEBRA E. JAMES, Cummerduff, Gorey, Co Wexford.