Ampleforth and the price of education

Sir, – In the piece on the appointment of a principal to a secondary school in England, it was described as a "top school" and a "great Catholic school" ("Goodbye Mr Lambon", Magazine, May 17th). On reading the article, I discovered the school charges its students €36,000 annually. I would suggest a criterion of a "top" school might be that it does not charge fees and provides a good education for its students, whatever their means. The Irish Times often describes fee-paying schools as "top" or "prestigious". There is an obvious implication that these schools are superior to the general school. This is not the case.– Yours, etc,

BREANDÁN Ó MATHÚNA,

Aille Indreabhán,

Co na Gaillimhe.