Sir, - What exactly does David Morrison (May 19th) find wrong with the Catholic "monopoly" of education in the South of Ireland. I have lived and worked in Britain, the USA and Australia. In each of these countries, exam surveys consistently place Catholic schools in the top 20 percent and this includes Catholic schools in deprived areas. Conversely Catholic schools have below average rates of drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and teenage crime. In London, it is amazing to see people of all religions and none queuing up to place their children in Catholic schools. These people want a disciplined learning environment to allow their children do well academically and a value system which promotes civic responsibility and respect for fellow human beings. State schools have failed to meet these criteria. Just look at the state of British society which has very high rates of teenage pregnancy, juvenile crime, rape, burglary, divorce, urban murder, serial killing, financial scandal and government corruption and the government's main strategy for improving the educational system is to make the exams easier. It's no wonder that immigrant Irish families are fleeing back home in record numbers. They may soon be followed by a flood of British refugees seeking a better quality of life. It seems obvious to me that the Irish educational system is the corner stone of the Celtic Tiger. Why change it? - Yours, etc., George Docker, Perth, Western Australia.