Segregated children

YOUR report (November 17) on the opening of five Muslim schools and six Catholic schools is depressing.

Ireland has an opportunity to learn from its neighbours about the dangers of religiously segregated education. But it has chosen to ignore those lessons and embark on the nonsensical act of segregating children by their religious faith or, more accurately, the religious faith imposed on them by their parents.

Why is religion the defining characteristic of schools in this country? This is social division waiting to happen. Schools should no longer be the stomping ground of religious proselytisers.