Sir, – Breandán Ó Mathúna (May 17th) states emphatically that perceived "top or prestigious" schools are not superior to the general school. I would be interested to know the criteria on which he bases his hypothesis. His main argument seems to be on the grounds of cost. Surely it is time we got over the "one for everyone in the audience" attitude, which operates on the principle of "if I can't have it, you can't either".
Supporting your local school or your national education system is admirable. However, doing so in a blinkered manner is to deny the obvious. The destructive outcome of teaching to the middle, refusing to provide for academic excellence, dumbing down and the demand for uniformity cannot be ignored. It is a misconception to assume that ability to pay is the only criterion for entry to UK public schools. A high level of academic achievement is required for the “top” schools. More and more of them are ensuring that financial considerations do not deter able pupils from having the advantages associated with such an educational system. – Yours, etc,
JOHANNA
LOWRY O’REILLY,
Moyne Road,
Ranelagh, Dublin 6.