Sir, – While it is gratifying to read (Alan Whelan, April 4th) that there is at least one parent with a desire to have a religious education for his children who also sympathises with the current plight of those who do not but are nevertheless constrained to send sons and daughters to religiously managed schools (provided there are still places for them after they have been sent to the back of the queue), Mr Whelan should also have a thought for the various government agencies that have the task of funding the education system, not to mention taxpayers in general.
Managers everywhere understand that fragmented systems, whether they exist in education, commerce or anywhere else, are inefficient and therefore incur excessive cost. In early education they are conducive to mutual misunderstanding of cultures. Even as it is, catering specially for the various religious denominations in our State-funded education system contributes enormously to its cost. Now we have a call for even more dilution of resources by providing separately for secularists, and this even while many existing schools must impose a notorious “voluntary” contribution on parents in order to pay for teaching essentials.
At this point it is worth pointing to how religious doctrine is passed on in those countries that count themselves as true republics – it is done by the use of Sunday schools, by the various rituals and instructions that take place in the home and in the church, mosque, synagogue or meeting hall, or even by privately funded denominational schools. Meanwhile the governments is left with the task of providing for core education, which is delivered in an integrated, more efficient and, above all, non-discriminatory environment. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Windy Arbour,
Dublin 14.