Dear Editor,

No amount of condoning of the recommendation of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) that there should be shorter courses in history and geography at Junior Certificate level can convince us there is not a scheme in operation at the Department of Education to dismantle the sense of identity in Irish education.

Christina Murphy make a great effort to condone the recommendation by the NCCA (History in the making, E&L, April 23rd). Greek has long gone from the curriculum for the vast majority of students, Latin has a very diminished role.

The efforts of the Department of Education to raise the profile of religious knowledge / holy scripture ring hollow when one realises that it is only interested in a conceptual approach being persued in the subject, nothing too deep.

Now the Department has started on reducing the role of history and geography on the curriculum at the vital Junior Cert level .... what next?

Yours, St Columba's Lodge, Killiney, Co Dublin