Sir, – In recent correspondence, there is often the implied conceit that, without recourse to private education, the offspring of these unfortunate, progressively taxed people would be reduced to huddling in climatically besieged hedge schools, denied the chances of their fellow, less well-off junior citizens who are milking the State’s “free” education system. If wealthy people insist on passing on the privileges, contacts and networks they themselves availed of, instead of enjoying all the equalities of a republic, I don’t see why any of my personal tax, progressively or otherwise calculated, should be diverted to serving their essentially selfish aspirations. – Yours, etc,
LIAM STENSON,
Galway.
Sir, – As someone who has spent 30 years teaching in UK universities and seeing the divisive results of a rigidly two-tier education structure, can I just make a somewhat counter-intuitive plea for a more constructive approach to the issue of Irish fee-paying schools?
Looking at the level of fees charged in Ireland, I was immediately struck by their modesty. Yes, of course, there is an issue about social justice.
But do you, as recent correspondents have suggested, really want to resolve this problem by withdrawing all State support and pushing these schools’ fees to English levels of £15,000 to £20,000 a year, thus making them the resort solely of the very rich?
Beware what you wish for. – Yours, etc,
ALAN FORD,
Nottingham,
England.