Madam, – Ian d’Alton (October 7th) makes a number of comments in response to my recent article on Protestant secondary schools (Opinion, October 5th).
I would hope we could at least agree that the sudden imposition of mid-term cuts on the education sector as a whole, when budgets and charges have been settled for the year, is grossly unfair and that severe extra cuts applied to the Protestant sector alone are reprehensible.
Mr d’Alton is simply wrong when he suggests that the general taxpayer is asked to subsidise “selective and elitist schools”. What they are asked to do is to ensure that every child in the land is treated as fairly as possible – which was the case for Protestant children until last October’s budget.
Up to that point Protestant schools were funded and resourced similarly to Catholic schools in the free education scheme. When that scheme was introduced in 1967 the then government included our schools “because of the nature of their problems” taking into account that we were a scattered minority community and most of our schools had to provide boarding facilities. Every government until this one has maintained that position.
Following Batt O’Keeffe’s decision, large numbers of Protestant children are now denied any of the benefits of the free education scheme. The only remaining benefit is the limited assistance with fees, awarded to lower income families. This is not an extra payment – it is the standard capitation grant distributed on a means-tested basis. This means that while every Catholic child, rich or poor, has at least the option of receiving free secondary education in a school of his or her denomination, the same does not apply to Protestant children.
Mr d’Alton further suggests that our schools are selective and elitist.
They do, of course, exist primarily to serve the Protestant community, but they admit those children irrespective of means, social standing or academic ability. They also cater for the many children of other faith communities and none whose parents feel our schools are the most suited to their needs.
Mr d’Alton, like the Department of Education, seems unable to think outside denominational boxes. They ignore the fact that Ireland has changed and people make their own choices about religious practice and what is the best education for their children. Under the Charter of Human Rights they have every right to do so since it explicitly recognises the right of everyone to freedom of religion (Article 10); and that the right of parents to ensure the education and teaching of their children in conformity with their religious convictions, in accordance with national laws, is to be respected (Article 14).
At least that is what we were told when we were being asked to vote Yes in the recent referendum. – Yours, etc,