Faith more important than a right to education?

ONE of Fianna Fáil’s ‘next steps’ in the last general election was to “tackle the evil of sectarianism which threatens the shared society we seek to achieve on this island”.

The disgusting racist and sectarian policy of the Dublin archdiocese to favour white Catholic children over black non-Catholic children in deciding who will receive an education in its schools sticks two fingers up at this ‘next step’.

Nearly all primary schools in this country are still controlled by a church whose moral authority is in tatters, its reputation irreparably tarnished and which is seeing falling attendance at its services.

Is it right that this church is allowed by law the right to protect the ethos of its schools over the rights of children to receive an education? We are not living in the 1930s anymore.

The Ireland of today contains many people of other faiths and many more of no faith. In our increasingly diverse society, we are faced with two options.

The first is having the taxpayer establish schools to accommodate every religion, sect and cult. Every child will receive an education in accordance with their parents’ belief or non-belief. But they will never learn about, or mix with, children of other backgrounds.

The second option is that all publicly-financed schools be non-denominational. Your child’s education and future prospects will no longer be dictated by religious belief or non-belief. But no religion will be able to use taxpayers’ money to protect the ethos of its schools.

The first option will create a ‘separate but equal’ society in which religious minorities will be segregated away, out of sight and out of mind, from the majority white Catholic population.

The second option will create an inclusive, integrated and shared society, in which everyone is allowed to be a full, active citizen, irrespective of their religious belief or non-belief.

Which society do you want your child to live in?

Jason FitzHarris

Rivervalley

Swords

Co Dublin