Sir, – In supporting Catholic ownership of State-funded schools, Jim Stack (Letters, February 15th) writes that, "secularists are free to run their own schools on secular lines, with State support". This is simply not the case. Any new school patron is required to teach the prescribed State curriculum, which includes the teaching of religion. While Educate Together schools may not prefer any one denomination, they are not secular and they do teach religion. Mr Stack goes on to write that he "would not dream of forcing an all-Catholic education system" on anyone. However, this is inevitable, the result of the failure of the Roman Catholic Church to divest control of State-funded schools. There is not a single Educate Together school in the entire county of Monaghan, where I live with my four children. The State does indeed impose Catholicism on thousands of Irish children, against parental wishes. – Yours, etc,
JOHN HAMILL,
Castleblayney,
Co Monaghan.