Sir, – The Government’s plan to increase the number of non-denominational and multidenominational schools to 400 by 2030 is welcome. However, leaving aside the minor issues of the intervening 14 years, the questionable worth of the current Government’s promise during (never mind beyond) its mandate, and the fact that such a number will constitute around a paltry 8 per cent of primary schools, there are still other issues worthy of consideration.
Serious systemic problems permeate the Irish state-funded schools system – equality of access, religious discrimination and the lack of an effective opt-out from indoctrination by virtue of the “integrated curriculum” are just a few. Religious segregation is another.
The Community National Schools model, as envisioned by Minister for Education Richard Bruton, should come with a health warning. Under this model, the plan is that children will be segregated during “faith formation” classes during the school day. Religious segregation did not work in Northern Ireland. A recent report from the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life revealed that (surprise, surprise!) segregation of young people did not promote greater cohesion, but was in fact “socially divisive” and led “to greater misunderstanding and tension”. There is no reason to believe that there won’t be similar consequences here.
In our republic, we should be moving away from a model of religious segregation and towards a proper, inclusive State school system, where equality of access and equal treatment are core, not enshrining segregation in the very DNA of our society. What sort of republic are we building?
Segregating children along religious grounds is a bad idea. – Yours, etc,
ROB SADLIER,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – In among Rev Patrick G Burke's usually cogent letters there often lurks a claim which must be challenged (June 8th). He says denominational and faith schools were founded by local groups so that their children could receive an education with a particular religious ethos. The truth is that the ordinary people of Ireland had about as much say in the founding of Catholic schools as they had in the location of British garrisons. He will also be aware that the schools were created at a time of unusual circumstances.
The very notion of indoctrination is anathema to a proper education. On the question of supreme beings, all schools, everywhere, should have an open mind. None of us has the competence to be dogmatic on this matter.
It is regrettable that the word secularism should be mischievously bandied about with such disregard for the enlightened motives of those who are endeavouring to fashion out a modern curriculum which serves all students, under one roof. – Yours, etc,
PADDY McEVOY,
Holywood,
Co Down.