Madam, - Prof Bernadette Hayes, writing about the effects of integrated schooling, makes two unproven assumptions (Opinion & Analysis, January 30th).
The first is that maintaining a constitutional preference either for union with Great Britain or for Irish reunification indicates, if not a prejudiced personality, at least something lacking in one's education.
Secondly, she assumes that because about half of the former Catholic pupils of segregated schools support Irish reunification whereas only about one third of the Catholic ex-pupils of integrated schools do so, this must mean that integrated schooling has had positive effects.
Without even raising the question of whether such effects are positive, one could question whether the constitutional preference is produced by the school or by the home. It is more than likely that the same differences might be found among the parents of the pupils.
Prof Hayes did not say if she had researched the parental attitudes.
Unless Prof Hayes can prove the validity of both her assumptions, her argument proves nothing about the impact of integrated schooling. One might also ask if she has no worries about education being used to achieve a political end. - Yours, etc,
IGNATIUS McQUILLAN, Derry.