Madam, - A report by Conor Lally in your edition of May 23rd referred to allegations of the "financial bullying" of parents of the King's Hospital School contained in a letter of complaint circulated to the media.
A somewhat more sensational article in the Sunday Times referred to an anonymous circular and other comments by unnamed parents and went on to compare the fund-raising activities of the school to those experienced by Mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series.
I was one of those parents contacted by the school and had the pleasure of discussing the school's refurbishment and development plans with the headmaster. I am very grateful to the school for the way in which it has helped to educate my children and would very much like to have been in a position to contribute to the fund. Unfortunately I was not; the school accepted this without question and without any pressure being put on me to change my mind.
If some parents experienced the process as "financial bullying" I can assure them that all they had to do was say "No". I do not feel my family's relationship with the school will suffer in any way as a result of this decision. The integrity and commitment of the headmaster shone through the way in which he handled the discussion. It would be a pity if his reputation were besmirched by anonymous allegations just as he is taking a well deserved retirement.
Most schools have to raise funds for development and the King's Hospital would not have such excellent facilities and educational track record without the generous donations of previous generations of parents and past pupils. This is matched by the dedication of the teachers - many of whom give freely of their own time to contribute to the activities of the school.
Ireland spends a lower proportion of its GNP on education than almost any other EU country. If we want a high-quality educational system we will have to pay for it - through higher general taxation, higher fees, or through the benefits of voluntary work and fund-raising.
We should be grateful that some people can and do make additional voluntary donations of time or money which makes a good education more affordable for us all - and that the education provided by the King's Hospital has inspired them to do so. - Yours, etc.,
FRANK SCHNITTGER, Red Lane, Blessington, Co Wicklow.