Madam, – While agreeing with David Beattie (June 5th) that a reference to what may or may not have happened 175 years ago is not relevant in this matter, perhaps something a little closer in time might be relevant. Mr Beattie says, “There is no comprehensive non-denominational school network available to all pupils. If such were available throughout the country the argument for the retention of the capitation fee for Protestant schools might be weakened.” Exactly.
In the mid-1980s I was involved with a group of Protestant parents in the Dublin metropolitan area, concerned that the only “Protestant” school within travelling distance was fee-paying, day and boarding (and expensive at that). We approached the school with a proposal that it convert itself into a “Protestant comprehensive”, and become part of the free education system.
This course (despite some local opposition) had been taken successfully by Cork Grammar School and Rochelle School in Cork city in the early 1970s. The outcome was that Ashton (as the school now is) was enabled to achieve the best of both worlds.
There are other schools, such as Newpark, Mount Temple and the Royal and Prior School, Raphoe, which went the same route.
But, while the Dublin school professed to serve the Protestant community in its catchment area, when push came to shove, it was unwilling to take a step that would comprehensively realise that profession.
Much emphasis has been placed on the fee-paying schools as havens of the “Protestant ethos”. What is that, exactly, in the 21st century?
And how does it square with the fact that these schools have a significant minority of pupils and teachers (or majority – we don’t know, and the schools are very coy about telling us) that are not fully committed practising Protestants?
Whatever may have been the position 40 years ago when the free education system was set up, the evidence suggests that these schools (particularly in Dublin) now exist largely as islands of privilege and tradition, using their brand as fee-paying “Protestant” schools to attract those for whom education is largely a matter of social exclusivity.
The middle classes, Catholic and Protestant, have always been good at sniffing out and snaring taxpayer subsidies. In these times, especially, any support for fee-paying schools has to be questioned; but special support for a particular denomination requires rigorous justification. I have not yet seen it. – Yours, etc,