Patronage system and schools

A chara, – The scramble for control of schools begins again ("Islamic body seeks secondary school patronage", News, September 9th).

The list of patrons, which are non-elected, self-selected groups vying for control of schools, grows.

Why does the State continue to pursue a form of subsidiarity in education which has failed and which the European Court of Human Rights found not fit for purpose in 2014. Replacing a dominant patron (the Catholic Church) with multiple versions of patronage allows for the possibility of an even more dysfunctional management of schools in the future. – Yours, etc,

SEÁN Ó DÍOMASAIGH,

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Dunsany,

Co Meath.