Sir, – I have sympathy with much of what has been said on both sides of the debate about Ciaran O'Neill's article on independent secondary schools in Ireland ("Paying for privilege", Education Opinion, October 21st). I am the headmaster of Headfort School, a non-denominational, co-ed, independent prep school for children from three to 13 located near Kells in Co Meath. Headfort receives no State subvention.
I am often asked would I like the State to support Headfort in the way it supports independent secondary schools. My answer is that I am ambivalent on this question. I feel it would be unfair on the taxpayer, yet, if the school did receive State support, it could lower its fees. Headfort is building up its bursary programme whereby it is able to enrol children from families who would not be able to pay full fees; yet with most of our teachers paid by the State, we could immediately drop fees significantly. American and British independent schools, none of whose teachers are paid with state funds, are so expensive that they are way out of reach for the vast majority of families. This has created a massive gulf that does not exist in the same way in Ireland, whose independent secondary schools, while expensive, are much more affordable. – Yours, etc,
DERMOT DIX,
Headmaster,
Headfort School,
Kells, Co Meath.
Sir, – It was heartening to read Ciaran O’Neill’s critical, contextual and informative article.
Patrick Cassidy (October 23rd) offers two standard arguments in opposition: that every child has the right to a State-funded education; and that some parents simply top this up with fees, and this practice saves the State money.
I am not convinced by either of these arguments. It is a curious practice to enable people to top up their rights with private funds, though admittedly this practice is prevalent in Ireland in both education and healthcare. We would not accept a situation in which people can top up their right to security – for instance, where people who pay a fee are offered something akin to “platinum protection” by the Garda or fire services, with special Garda stations and fire stations with improved resources set apart from the standard network. The concept is as offensive in education (and healthcare) as it is in security, even if we have been conditioned to regard it as normal.
As to whether it saves the State money, perhaps it does, but it also has a pernicious effect on the free second-level education sector. Rather than freeing up additional funds for State schools, the political effect is to actually diminish their resources.
Imagine if all letters written in defence of Ireland’s anomalous subsidy to fee-charging schools, and all the lobbying done in its favour (both individual and ecclesial), were instead directed at seeking additional supports for all schools. Imagine if the typical children of ambassadors, judges, partners in large firms, senior civil servants, and government ministers were as reliant on the State as other children are for funding for sports facilities, extracurricular activities, and other educationally valuable resources. I think a much better-resourced education sector would emerge, funded by the State and open to all. – Yours, etc,
ROBBIE ROULSTON,
Straffan,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – It was interesting to read the different attitudes to private education, with those opposing objecting to the State support for these schools. What no-one seems to have said is that those paying for private education are generally significant taxpayers and have through their taxes already paid for State schools. Surely we are entitled to spend our taxed income on private education, private medical care or, for that matter, whatever we wish! – Yours, etc,
MARY MURPHY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Johanna Lowry O’Reilly (October 24th) suggests that families with the right ethos are entitled to private schooling and that “most parents whose children don’t attend private schools wouldn’t want them to”. Since these private schools were generally established by the main Christian churches, how would the founder of Christianity evaluate this extremely elitist position? – Yours, etc,
Prof JIM GLEESON,
Australian Catholic
University,
Brisbane, Australia.