Sir, – Martin Mansergh has expressed concern for protection of the Church of Ireland minority in the current debate about school patronage and pluralism. (Opinion: "It would be rash to kill denominational schooling", November 23rd)
It is ironic that a system designed to protect the main minority ethos (in a then-overwhelmingly Catholic State) now has entirely the opposite effect on the rights of other religious minorities.
According to the census, approximately 2.7 per cent of the population identifies as Church of Ireland, and yet this church controls access to almost 6 per cent of national schools. This gives the Church of Ireland a uniquely privileged position with regard to school places.
It uses that privilege questionably.
Church of Ireland school admissions policies prioritise children of their own faith and then proceed to prioritise other faiths by a strict “pecking order”, with first Christians (other Protestants, and then Catholics – who already have preferential access to 90 per cent of schools).
Way down the list come “other” religions (eg, Hindus, Jews and Muslims) and last of all are children of “no religion” (truly the dregs, it seems, although now representing some 9 per cent of the population).
The current admissions crisis in over-subscribed schools is exacerbated by the fact that the schools historically founded to protect a minority now discriminate most blatantly against our “new” and rapidly expanding religious minorities – non-Christians and those of no religion.
If the churches wish to retain a network of denominational schools in any form, they would do well to examine how “Christian” the current policies are.
A little pluralism might go a long way. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has clearly not missed this point when he said recently “if you don’t have a plan, change will overtake you”.
The current system is wrong and simply must change. The question is how and when, and if the churches wish to acknowledge the need for change, or have change imposed upon them? – Yours, etc,
PAULA KEARNS
Killiney,
Co Dublin.