Sir - Points made by Mr Donaldson (January 21st) about under funding of Catholic schools may well be true (he omitted to mention that Catholic schools get no help with musical instruments, whereas Protestants do). But his letter might seem to imply that the integrated sector are in some way to blame. Financial discrimination existed long before the recent upsurge in integration. Integrated schools themselves suffer blatant under funding and discrimination. We believe this is largely for political reasons - not all of it unionist. The Catholic hierarchy actually bans priests from even visiting integrated schools.
Most integrated schools are housed in often tatty, temporary accommodation. Permanent buildings will not even be considered by the Department of Education Northern Ireland for 15 years. New segregated school buildings spring up all round us. DENI are now effectively refusing to open any more new integrated schools. Despite Mr Donaldson's identification of a mare 2 per cent of the school populace, DENI realised that they faced a flood gate of demand from parents. (Five new integrated schools opened last year.) DENI now encourage the transformation of segregated schools to integrated status. In principle this is fine, but some of the proposed transformations are decidedly suspect, they will be integrated in name only.
We integrationalist have never claimed a panacea for the North's troubles, as stated by our opponents. We are simply a group of parents (not teachers or administrators) who demand the right to educate our children together and see it as part of a way forward. No, Mr Donaldson, I'm afraid when it comes to discrimination you are in the penny place Fears expressed by the Catholic sector are simply fears of losing their power base. - Yours, etc.,
Windmill Integrated PS,
Dungannon.