David Quinn, former scribe for the Irish Catholic, believes Irelands education in our schools should have more local autonomy in deciding policy and less central control from the government. If that was a problem then it is solely his and the Catholic Church, and one that, so far, has allowed over 90% of schools, which happens to be Catholic, discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, religion, and school ethos. Taxpayers are also complicit in this without consent. David is a victim, as always, of his own yarns that is indeed a tangled web that he weaves when he practises to deceive.
Exclusive schools for those with special needs is self explanatory, but there should be one, as David tells us, for sporting excellence as well and that is akin in trying to train singers for the Xfactor, or actors only for Academy awards. Academic excellence is subjective in itself and hard to indentify for Einstein and Churchill were both classed as a bit thick in school yet George Bush jnr passed his exams with flying colours or the colour of his money passed them for him. The nub of the Government policy in real terms here is to stop schools, which are state donated and funded to and for the religious, from historical religious persecution against those that they deem are not like them.
The reality is there is almost no choice in this country from parish to parish outside of a Catholic ethos school, and the average citizen or resident here have to accept the one colour that Ford talked about when selling cars and allowing the customers to have any colour they wanted as long as it was black. As a parent I have always feel sidelined in that I have no choice in the religious instruction or not that is given without choice to my 10 year old girl. As a grumpy humanitarian I can put up with Santa Claus and little else. The reality is that without full non-denominational schools everywhere on this Island there is discrimination somewhere on it too.
The social democratic morality than David talks about is not about equality alone but to keep religion in and reasoning out. That reasoning dictates that higher education is the reward for those that excel in most subjects from primary, and post-primary education that is geared for all; and a promise for those that are left will not be left behind completely. This is the model for Americas public education system while Russia, China, England and Australia and ‘are’ all heading for full centralising as well.
The main private schools here which are the deemed to be public by perception only, are Catholic. The middleclass in any case is dying and the few still standing should not feel guilty but privileged that they have a choice at all outside of ‘public schools.’ Good Teachers is all we need now, Catholic or not.
Barry Clifford
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