Multi-Denominational Education

Sir, - Congratulations to the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, for agreeing to buy a site for a religiously mixed primary school…

Sir, - Congratulations to the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, for agreeing to buy a site for a religiously mixed primary school in Galway and to your education correspondent, Andy Pollak, for his analysis of the significance of this decision (The Irish Times, January 23rd). The Minister also deserves credit for his payment of £20,000 to Educate Together, which may be very little compared with Mr McCreevy's largesse to Croke Park, but is a big improvement on the pittance which your correspondent reveals was paid to ET in previous years.One of the less publicised scandals of recent decades is that of the obstacles placed in the way of parents seeking multi-denominational education for their children. The existence of 16 multidenominational schools 23 years after the first such school was established in Dalkey is testimony to the determination and conviction of groups of parents who achieved their aims against all the odds. Evidence from the project schools to date shows that the children have reaped the rewards of their parents and teachers' commitment to an ideal which was doggedly opposed by vested interests. It seems that Mr Martin's decision marks a new approach by the State to multidenominational education in the Republic. I hope that the churches will follow the "good example".Unfortunately, where multi-denominational education is needed most urgently, it is being resisted most forcibly. Despite the painful evidence of religious hatred and bigotry in Northern Ireland, the churches' determined opposition to Protestants and Roman Catholics attending the same schools remains entrenched. As long as this opposition remains, calls by church leaders to "love thy neighbour" will continue to fall on many deaf ears. If you do not allow people to learn together under one roof how can you expect them to live together in one community?Influential church leaders (clerical and lay) could make a valuable contribution to bridging the ravine between people in Northern Ireland by withdrawing their opposition to multi-denominational education there. Our President, who is one of the most articulate lay opponents of multi-denominational education, could do some genuine bridge-building by declaring the kind of change of heart which she so often encourages for others. - Yours, etc.,Oliver DonohoeClonard Road,Kimmage,Dublin 12.