Exemption from Irish is not the same as religious discrimination in schools

Sir, – I read Breda O’Brien’s piece (“Why are religious schools seen as divisive but Irish-language schools are not?,” Opinion, April 11th) with some curiosity.

She says: “No one seriously suggests that someone with an exemption from Irish is being discriminated against or excluded by having to be around those who are studying it, or that the subject should be dropped entirely or taught after school.”

O’Brien neglects to mention that unlike religion, race or sexual orientation, being exempted from Irish at school is not grounds for discrimination under the Equal Status Act. Irish is a language, while faith formation is a subjective belief system. There is a profound difference between a student who is exempted from a subject and a student who is marginalised by a school’s ethos. – Yours, etc,

Maedbh King,