Madam, – Ronan McCrea (“Lautsi ruling no proof of support for religious education system”, Opinion, April 11th) is correct that the freedom allowed by the European Court of Human Rights in Lautsi v Italy is quite limited. His suggestion, however, that the ruling has implications for Irish denominational schools, is unfounded. The Italian school at the centre of the case was a state school, and the court made abundantly clear that it is to state schools that the principles outlined in its ruling are applicable.
Dr McCrea suggests that the forum on school patronage should consider the Lautsi ruling. So indeed should all who have an interest in this debate. The limitations imposed by Lautsi serve as a warning to anyone tempted to think that a state school system in Ireland could be relied upon to provide an appropriate religious education to children whose parents desire it. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Once again members of the Christian community who are proponents of religious education in primary schools espouse their ignorance on morality. Tom Stack (April 11th) cites the Russian education model that introduced Christian education into schools which affirmed “positive social and civic” values among Russian schoolchildren.
One need not be a Christian to be a good person. Social and civic values are not the remit of Christianity. If they were, then considering that the majority of citizens in this country were taught at Catholic-run schools we would not have ever needed the Ryan report, the Ferns report, the McCoy report, the Moriarty tribunal, the McCracken tribunal and the Mahon tribunal. – Yours, etc,