Robinson’s weak hand on schools policy

THE North’s First Minister Peter Robinson, in opposing the state funding of Catholic education in the North recently, questioned the morality of segregated education there, saying “we cannot hope to move beyond our present community divisions while our young people are educated separately”.

To suggest that those who choose denominational education for their children are not committed to a shared society is a considered insult and is unworthy of the First Minister. No doubt he echoes a sentiment favoured by some.

However, I believe the majority of people support the principle of parental choice and educational pluralism. I am surprised that a unionist politician would launch an attack in such intemperate language as Mr Robinson did on any form of segregation in the North. Successive unionist regimes were responsible for the segregation of communities throughout the North. A recent survey found that in excess of 90% of the population there lives in denominationally segregated areas. The logical extension of Mr Robinson’s own argument about forced integrated education would also require the forced integration of housing.