Sir, – The notion that control of students’ smartphones may be behind the growth in boarding schools numbers is verging on ludicrous (Home News, May 8th).
Reasons for sending students to such schools are many, including one or both parents living/working overseas, allowing parents freedom to opt for a different lifestyle, doing so simply because they can afford it, followed closely by “because we can”.
Let us not ignore the fact that taxpayers in Ireland are subsidising boarders and others in fee-paying schools to the tune of €100 million a year in wages for staff. To pretend that the absence of phones allows those students to study or engage in arts, music and other cultural projects is facile.
Other hard-working parents also ensure that their children have similar opportunities if and when their schools and their own personal income can rise to those challenges.
The concept of equal treatment for all our talented children needs to be constantly to the fore, not limited solely to those who have deep (albeit subsidised) pockets. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK JUDGE,
Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.