Punished for being left-handed

Sir, – Kitty Holland's article about Gerry Kavanagh's traumatic educational experience as a result of being physically punished for not writing with his right hand resonated with me ("'I was told I would burn in hell if I wrote with my left hand'", News, February 1st).

The Department of Education’s response that “it had no historical complaints about such treatment of left-handed children in schools” perplexes me somewhat.

Could it be that there are only two left-handed children in all of Ireland who experienced a similar degree of educational bias in the 1960s? I think not. – Yours, etc,

Dr PÁDRAIC O’DOWD,

READ SOME MORE

Trim,

Co Meath.