Sir, - It will be a pity if Cormac O'Duffy's letter of July 22nd fails to provoke a thorough discussion. Writing as a Project Director of Faith Alive Ireland, he argues that our system of primary education, in which 95 per cent of the schools are Catholic, is "unsuited to the needs of modern Ireland". The trend of declining religious observance highlights this unsuitability. He considers that the system makes it impossible for Catholic education to be distinctive, and proposes that schools should be formally encouraged to drop out of the Church system.
Ten years ago a similar proposal from Fr Fergal O'Connor OP fell on deaf ears. No doubt Mr O'Duffy's call will receive the same fate and another few generations will pass through the education system, viewing the Catholic Church as an outdated and irritating agency of social control.
I believe that being open to new ways of thinking about religious involvement in education offers the best way of conserving Catholic culture in the face of contemporary consumerism. What is needed is visionary thinkers like Mr O'Duffy and political and church leaders with the courage to promote their ideas. - Yours, etc., David Alvey,
Corrig Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin.