Sir, - In response to John McCann's call for the publication of Leaving Cert results (November 21st) with the aim of compiling a list of high-performing schools, I would remind him that many second-level schools cater for everybody regardless of academic ambition.
Such schools cater for young people with special needs from small rural primary schools whose first contact with remedial teaching is often when they arrive into second level. Also welcomed into these schools are physically disabled pupils, some of whom might consider excellence in Irish or mathematics of less importance to their lives than being at the centre of the rough and tumble of school life. And last but not least, there are pupils from our travelling community, whose life experience contrasts starkly with that of their settled South Dublin contemporaries.
This is how the mission statement of one such school reads: "This is a Catholic school committed to the development of each person in an atmosphere of mutual respect and care and in a spirit of co-operation with the community."
Long may our schools be saved from the fate of those in the UK where such meaningless lists are published annually. Let us not reduce the worth of our pupils and teachers to pathetic lists of points. - Yours, etc., Marie Neylon,
Main Street, Corofin, Co Clare.