Sir, – I welcome Minister for Education Richard Bruton's efforts to eliminate the "baptism barrier" as a requirement for entry into Catholic primary schools (News, June 29th).
However, he does not appear to have gone far enough, and if anything has doubled down on discrimination by attempting to only hold the Catholic faith and its primary schools to this new standard.
I would appeal to the Minister to remove the “baptism barrier” from all schools that receive State funding. I would also appeal to people of faith to try to understand how it feels when you try to enrol your child into a State-funded school only to receive a letter that is tantamount to saying your child is not the right type of child. Discrimination is not an answer to over-enrolment or a shortage of school places.
A secular school system is the only way to end this blatant discrimination of children. A secular system is nothing to be afraid of, it can be open to adherents of any philosophy, religion, or faith, while not promoting or discriminating against any such group. – Yours, etc,
IAN COURTENAY,
Ballinteer,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Removal of the baptism barrier in Catholic schools is a flawed response to the problems of a flawed system. It is not unreasonable that the Catholic Church would object to being singled out for treatment not meted out to other faiths.
However, it is not unreasonable that, in due course, discrimination on grounds of religion will be banned in all other State-funded schools also, whether the Government takes action voluntarily or is forced to do so by the legal process.
The long-term solution lies in the State taking control of the schools that are funded by it. Any other attempted solution is just a fudge. – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’SULLIVAN,
Crossabeg,
Co Wexford.
A chara, – I cannot accept Richard Bruton’s proposals to strip oversubscribed Catholic schools, and Catholic schools alone, of their right to consider an applicant’s religion. All other ethos-based schools would retain this right. Leaving aside the fact that this requires the State to ignore its constitutional obligation to treat all belief systems equally, it also utterly fails to address the real issue – the persistent underfunding of our educational system.
While the Catholic Church has long replaced England as Ireland’s scapegoat of choice, it is the State’s responsibility to provide schools. If local schools are oversubscribed, or if the relatively small minority of families who desire a school with a different ethos cannot find one within a reasonable distance, that is the fault of the Minister for Education. Only increased investment can solve this issue.
We all want an Ireland where every family can access an education that serves their ethos.
The fact that Catholics make up an overwhelming majority of our country does not make their right to such an education any less real.
Stripping Catholic schools of their right to select which students they can best serve does not make sense, supports growing unease that Catholics are being singled out in Irish society, and, worst of all, will do nothing to fix oversubscription. – Is mise,
RORY CROTTY,
Dúglas,
Corcaigh.
Sir, – I find Minister for Education Richard Bruton’s recent proposals to change the rules for school admissions policies to be scandalous.
According to Mr Bruton’s proposals, practising the Catholic religion cannot be used as grounds for admission to a school, whereas practicing every other religion can. This is effectively replacing one form of religious discrimination with another. Where is the equality in that? – Yours, etc,
JAMES CONROY,
Mullingar,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – Richard Bruton is proposing to stop Catholic schools from discriminating against non-Catholics in the area of school admission policy. This is to be welcomed. What is not welcome is the fact that he proposes to allow schools of other faiths to continue to discriminate. In fact, he proposes to write religious discrimination into Irish law. No school funded by the Irish taxpayer should be allowed to discriminate on grounds of religion. All schools in receipt of public funding should be open to all Irish children, regardless of religious affiliation. – Yours, etc,
T O’SULLIVAN,
Dublin 5.
Sir, – If equality is what’s on the Minister’s agenda, then he should supply religion-free schools, instead of banning religious schools from expecting religious applicants. We would have had no schools without the religious orders, as the State did not pull its weight here. We accepted their generosity but now deem to make new rules for them. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN SUGRUE,
Glenbeigh,
Co Kerry.