Sir, – Robbie Roulston's piece ("State protection of Protestant fee-paying schools needs to be challenged", Opinion & Analysis, September 13th) is a refreshing antidote to the propaganda put forward by the proponents of special treatment for fee-paying Protestant schools. For a start, Dr Roulston's views are evidenced-based; and it is well that we should understand the circumstances of nearly half a century ago when the current system was established. The point is, of course, that those circumstances in large measure no longer apply. In the mid-1960s, schools were denominational in practically every sense – the student body was overwhelmingly of one religious group, as were the staff. Headmasters were often Protestant clerics. Frequently, there was formal church involvement in governance. The point, for Protestant schools, was to mitigate or eliminate the pernicious effects of the Ne Temere decree on the demographic trajectory of the Protestant community, and to ensure continued customers for the churches.
All this has changed. Examining the current prospectuses of the schools with a “Protestant” ethos, one is struck by the tone of welcome to students of other denominations, and none. This may be to the good, but it completely undermines any case for special treatment. The schools are very coy about their current denominational composition, both students and staff. When one takes account of the extensive colonisation of these schools by Roman Catholics (whether nominal or not is beside the point), it is difficult to see how they can claim to work to a “Protestant” ethos.
If a bicycle acquires four wheels and a roof, it is no longer a bicycle.
What most characterises these schools now is their class basis and, I would maintain, it is why “Catholics” and “Protestants” send their children there.
A notion of “People Like Us” has finally trumped sincere religious belief, and it would be honest if the schools simply admitted this. – Yours, etc,
IAN d’ALTON,
Rathasker Heights,
Naas,
Co Kildare.