A chara, - Gary Byrnes (November 28th) is but the latest in a long list of your correspondents to lambaste the Christian Brothers for corporal punishment meted out in schools. Never having had any contact with those gentlemen, I cannot comment on this. But two points regularly occur to me when I hear people complaining about their education and/or upbringing. These are the use of hindsight and the total ignoring of parental responsibility.
Hindsight is a wonderful facility, but who would like to be judged under its jurisdiction? The description by Gary Byrnes of the harsh regime he endured was not particular to the Christian Brothers. It was symptomatic of a harsh society which was reflected to some extent in most schools. Corporal punishment in schools was ended only in the late 1970s.
Many people nowadays complain and seek to blame others for ills in their upbringing. But rarely do they appear to advert to any parental responsibility. Surely parents were and are the primary educators and bear ultimate responsibility for the upbringing of their children? Gary Byrnes appears to place responsibility for his lack of "formal knowledge of sex, relationships, contraception or reproduction" at the door of the Christian Brothers. The RSE programme is coming into the school curriculum only in 1997.
The faults and failings which did exist in the past in Irish society cannot be conveniently laid at the door of the Christian Brothers or any other individual organisation. To seek to do so, may be expedient, but it is not just. - Yours, etc.,
Anthony Jordan,
Gilford Road, Dublin 4.