A chara, - The board of management of Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg in Dunboyne, Co Meath is moving to sack the principal Tomás Ó Dúlaing for attempting to accommodate the teaching of religion in a fair and equal manner to all of the children in a school which is classed as an interdenominational Gaelscoil (The Irish Times, April 18th). How reassured David Trimble must feel!
Until recently I was a teacher in a Gaelscoil in the Republic for 16 years. I therefore have first-hand experience of the amount of extra time spent on preparing for the sacraments over and above the compulsory daily half-hour of religious instruction laid down by the Department of Education. Though every school is different, it can average about two hours a day in the two months leading up to Holy Communion.
It entails preparing each child aged seven, for first confession; the learning by memory of the all the responses of the Mass in Irish (as the congregation is usually English-speaking); preparing for the First Communion service which often includes dance, drama and songs; much artwork; almost daily visits in the last two weeks to rehearse in the local church. The celebrations after the event usually include class parties, a disco, videos, parades around the school, class photographs in Communion dress.
Any child who is not receiving Communion is usually subject to ad hoc arrangements made by individual teachers. As a teacher and a parent in the Gaelscoil whose child was not receiving the sacraments in school, and knowing the difficulties a seven-year-old would face during that period, I chose to move my son to a Presbyterian school where children from five different religious backgrounds were educated together and where the preparation of the sacraments for Catholic schoolchildren took place after school hours.
Parents were happy with this arrangement, which had the full support of the board of management. As Irish-medium education was also a priority my son later returned to the Gaelscoil. During preparation for Confirmation, as a 12-year-old he was stronger in dealing with the exclusion, the isolation and the feeling of being dumped on another teachers.
During my teaching career seldom did anyone question a system that is unfair to many children from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds whose parents wish an Irish-medium education for them. Tomás Ó Dúlaing is a brave and unique exception. He should be applauded and supported. - Is mise,
PÁDRAIGÍN NÍ UALLACHÁIN, Mullaghban, Co Armagh.