School patronage is an outdated concept

Replacing one dominant patron with a multitude of untested ones is not the solution

A chara – I agree with much of what David Graham writes about the recent school ethos survey announced recently (Letters, October 4th).

The survey is another exercise in “kicking the can down the road”. Mr Graham suggests that “we need to have an adult conversation about the continued role of religion in our schools”.

That conversation should not be just about religion.

It should focus on the outdated concept of school patronage and the continued abrogation by the State of its obligations in regard to the provision and governance of education.

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The policy of replacing one dominant patron with a multitude of untested ones is not the solution.

Patron bodies are self-selected and unelected and by their very nature have their own self-serving agendas.

In the spirit of the Stanley letter of 1831, let’s just renationalise our schools. – Yours, etc,

SEÁN Ó DÍOMASAIGH,

Dunsany,

Co Meath.