Sir, – For many years, I have been involved in the campaign for greater provision of multi- or non-denominational education in Ireland, and have followed the recent resurfacing of the debate with great interest.
So I was amused to read Rev Patrick G Burke's polemic on the subject (September 2nd), in which he argued that "there is little demand for non-denominational education" and encouraged "those desirous of secular schools to establish them on the same basis as every other grouping, majority or minority".
At least I would have been amused if this was not such a serious issue for so many parents, myself included.
In truth, it is incredibly difficult for parents to establish a new school; we did it in Dublin 8 with the new Canal Way Educate Together National School in 2013, but it took years of hard work.
In my direct experience, we parents who support secular schooling, and who wish to choose it for our children, are immensely disadvantaged by the existing, deeply denominational, school system.
The fallacy of Rev Burke’s argument is exposed by the simple fact that out of approximately 3,200 primary schools in Ireland, 95 per cent are religious-run, 90 per cent under Catholic Church patronage. After nearly four decades, there are still only 74 Educate Together multi-denominational primary schools.
The State has been paying for the salaries of teachers and the upkeep of school buildings since 1922, yet all the buildings remain vested in the religious bodies. That is some status quo to challenge. No wonder many parents simply give up and put up.
But acquiescence does not equal support – wherever new schools are being established, at primary or secondary level, the level of desire among local parents for non-religious education becomes very clear – as evidenced by the preponderance of school start-up groups around Ireland aligned with Educate Together. – Yours, etc,
Senator IVANA BACIK,
Seanad Éireann,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.