A chara, – The statement "overt racism is rare but many parents will shop around for a school in their locality and may well include ethnic mix, along with social mix, in their calculations" in your editorial "School admissions: a silent segregation for non-Irish pupils" (February 26th) is to make the accusation that covert racism is at work.
This is a serious allegation to make against the parents of the communities involved; and serious allegations require serious evidence, not suppositions with no better support than the words “may well include” – words which in themselves indicate that nothing stands behind them other than the imagination of the one writing them.
The people of these areas deserve better than unsubstantiated attacks on their good names; therefore, these allegations should be proven at once or withdrawn with an apology. – Is mise,
Rev PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny.
