The Sunday Times provoked an impassioned debate on the future of Catholic
schools in Scotland last week after Lord Steel, the Lib Dem peer, added his
voice to the national discussion started by the former education minister
Sam Galbraith, who claimed that denominational schools were the root cause
of sectarianism and bigotry and called for them to be scrapped. In his
column, Steel blamed Catholic schools for perpetuating the religious divide
and called for their phasing-out.
The outspoken comments from two of Scotland’s most respected political
veterans generated a huge response from readers. Here is a selection of
their comments.
NOTHING NEW: On catching sight of your front-page splash
(Galbraith: scrap faith schools, News, December 24), I thought that you were
reporting some news. When I read the article, I realised that it was a
desperate attempt to justify the two pages of nonsense that followed.
Galbraith’s views on Catholic schools are well known, as are those of Lewis
Mooney, Ian Davidson and the Church of Scotland. What is regrettable is that
these views are not well informed with regard to the educational experience
provided to children who attend more than 400 Catholic schools in Scotland.
It seems to have escaped the notice of some commentators that “public opinion”
on this issue is expressed every day when parents choose to send more than
125,000 children to Catholic schools in various parts of Scotland. If these
schools were not providing effective education, then parents would quickly
vote with their feet.
This tawdry effort to stir up debate does not reflect well on The Sunday
Times, particularly following the recent summit on sectarianism, when
Scottish media representatives were called upon to be responsible in their
handling of such issues.
Michael McGrath
Scottish Catholic Education Service,
Glasgow
END APARTHEID: I doff my hat to Sam Galbraith. How anyone in
their right mind can think segregating youngsters at the age of five is the
way forward is beyond me. They need to take a good, hard look at themselves.
The apartheid education system we have here in Scotland needs to be ended
asap. Let our kids play and be educated together and we will see the
benefits in the years ahead, when sectarianism will be eradicated from our
great country.
Come on Jack, if you are really serious about ending Scotland’s shame, start
looking at the real reasons behind it and do something about the education
system we currently have in place.
John Knox
Glasgow
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: The Scottish Unionist party has been
campaigning for an end to segregated schooling for some time and we are
delighted to see that politicians from other parties are adopting our
position on this matter. The SUP advocates integration as the best way
forward. The present system of separate schools is indefensible socially,
morally and economically, and is a large contributor to the sectarianism
that Jack McConnell seems so concerned about.
Proponents of the denominational sector frequently use false claims of higher
academic and moral standards to advance their case, but a cursory
examination of the facts will show that this is not so. Educate our children
together — you know it makes sense.
Jim Dixon
Glasgow
HOME TRUTHS: There can be no doubt that segregated schooling
is a significant root cause of division within Scottish society. I didn’t
cross paths with any of my contemporaries from the local RC school in any
social context until I went to university. The place for religion is in the
home, not the school.
Peter Townsley
Whitburn, West Lothian
THE FACTS, PLEASE: In arguing that Catholic schools are the
root cause of sectarianism in Scotland, Sam Galbraith and his cheerleaders
are clearly in possession of information of which both Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate and the international educational research community are
unaware. We can only request that they furnish us with their data forthwith.
This is especially urgent given the abundance of evidence that flatly
contradicts Galbraith’s assertions.
Catholic schools flourish from New York to New Zealand, routinely acclaimed by
policy-makers and researchers globally for their contribution to social
inclusion, economic mobility and intercommunal cohesion.
Assuming for a moment that this latest assault on denominational education is,
like those that have preceded it, simply the restatement of a local,
evidence-free prejudice, then it is surely worth reflecting on its deeper
motivations.
The real scandal revealed in your feature is the spectacle of politicians only
too happy to glad-hand their way around Catholic head teachers and school
board members at election times, while privately despising the schools in
which large numbers of local parents freely choose to educate their
children.
Liberal elites in Scotland repeatedly delude themselves into believing that
attacks on Catholic schools somehow showcase their progressivism. Instead,
they exhibit to the international educational community an obsessive
parochialism that provokes nothing more than disappointment.
Dr Robert A Davis
Head of the Department of
Religious Education
University of Glasgow
CHRISTIAN VALUES: Do we really believe it is tolerant to tell
people that they cannot put Christ and their faith at the centre of their
lives and at the centre of their education? People should be free to choose
the best education for their children and to pass on those values that they
think their children will benefit from.
Catholic schools are not about intolerance — they are about teaching people
the values of Christianity and particularly the values of Catholicism, which
we believe contributes to the wellbeing of society. I can accept that
Catholic schools can be the focus of sectarianism but that is simply because
people don’t want to see a public manifestation of the Catholic faith. We
are pandering to people like that if we say that to keep them happy we
should get rid of Catholic schools. That won’t promote tolerance, that
endorses intolerance.
John Deighan
Parliamentary officer
Scottish Catholic Church
END BIGOTRY: Sam Galbraith’s contribution to the segregated
schools issue was most welcome, but why did it take him so long to speak
out? As a former member of the Scottish executive, he has to share
responsibility for implementing the government’s policy of institutional
religious discrimination in the employment of teachers.
The Education (Scotland) Act gives church authorities the right to restrict
the appointment of teachers in denominational schools to those who possess a
non-academic certificate of approval from the church. Those in possession of
this certificate are eligible for employment in every school in Scotland.
Without the certificate, employment is restricted to the non-denominational
sector. This is, in effect, an apartheid system and if it were mirrored in
any other area of public life there would be an outcry. End this
discrimination.
Jim Melly
Glasgow
SCOUT’S HONOUR: I wonder why it is only in Scotland and
Northern Ireland that faith schools cause sectarianism? It is interesting
that England has three types of school — Church of England, Roman Catholic
and non- denominational — but has no “bigotry issue”.
And, funnily enough, it is the same around the rest of the western world.
Maybe Scotland’s non-denominational community needs to take a wee look at
itself and the way it raises its children.
Scott Lamb
Livingston
THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE: I am a Welsh Catholic who has moved to
Scotland, married to a Scottish Episcopalian. I believe that Lord Steel’s
assertion that Catholic schools cause sectarianism is wrong. Bigoted people
who become bigoted parents cause sectarianism.
In St Andrews, we have three primary schools, two non-denominational and one
Catholic. My wife and I chose to send our children to the Catholic school
because we wished to have them educated within an overtly Christian
environment. I accept that all three primary schools offer an excellent
education, but just as I would support the right of any parent to choose a
non- denominational education for their child, I feel that my choice should
also be respected.
By denying parents the right to choose, Lord Steel is effectively
demonstrating an intolerance and lack of understanding of the Catholic
education system, and perhaps he should ask himself why so many
non-Catholics seek to avail themselves of that choice if it is one that
creates the bigotry that leads to sectarianism.
My children have formed strong friendships with Catholics in an environment
that gives them an understanding of Catholicism. When they are older, they
will make their own choices in religion, but whatever they choose to accept
or reject, it is to be hoped that they will see through any attempt to treat
Catholics with suspicion based on ignorance and stupidity – the real fuel of
sectarianism.
Henry Paul
St Andrews, Fife
MOST BACK BAN: Most Scottish politicians will tell you
privately that separate Catholic schools should go. There is no rational
argument for only Catholics being suitable to teach Roman Catholic children
maths, and every argument in favour of non-Catholics teaching them history.
David Bryce
Hamilton, South
Lanarkshire
DOOMED TO FAIL: Sam Galbraith and others are absolutely
correct. Jack McConnell means well in his attempts to stop sectarian
bigotry, but his methods will never succeed. Segregated schooling is the
root cause of sectarianism. Because of separation, schoolchildren grow up
and consider that all children of different faiths must be different — and
being kept apart, they seldom make friends of other children. Some might
even consider other faiths to be inferior. Unfortunately, this attitude is
carried with them into adulthood and they pass it on to their children, and
so on.
Tom Orr
East Kilbride,
South Lanarkshire
PURELY SCOTS? My only question would be: why is this a
problem only in Scotland? It would seem other countries can have
single-faith schools and nobody bats an eyelid.
Richard Barbour
Irvine
CRYING SHAME: Finally, a senior political figure states the
obvious. Hatred and division are passed from generation to generation and
amplified by kids being separated by education in the formative years. This
brainwashing has gone on far too long, and I for one have chosen a new life
away from Scotland to ensure that when I have a family, they are not
subjected to intolerance and hate because they go to a particular school or
follow a particular football team. The Catholic church is, as usual, just
battening down the hatches and using its considerable PR machine to scare
the politicians into keeping this key issue on the back burner. Scotland’s
apartheid education system is the real crying shame. Well done, Mr
Galbraith.
Andy McKnight
Brisbane, Australia
PEDDLING A MYTH: The idea that faith schools help breed
sectarianism in society is a myth. There are Catholic schools in a whole
range of countries around the world, none of which suffers from the same
sectarian problem we have. Scotland’s problem has been inherited from
Ireland. Where there is parental demand, Catholic schools should continue,
and if there is a demand from other faiths in Scotland to have their own
faith schools, it is only right that they be given proper consideration, too.
Michael Matheson
SNP MSP for Central
Scotland
CONGRATULATIONS: Thank goodness: at last a politician to
publicly condemn the apartheid imposed on our children.
Ian Cameron
Greenock, Inverclyde
EQUAL STANDING: I want to register my complete agreement with
the view expressed so well by Sam Galbraith that faith schools are
dangerously divisive and should not be accepted. in Scotland. If the people
living in Scotland are to accept each other as equals, communicate
effectively with each other and understand each other, it is essential that
they live and learn together at school. Different religions can supplement
education during weekends and evenings if they see fit. I feel that separate
education is one factor in the religious and cultural divisions that have
caused so much suffering in the UK.
Alison Kerr
Stirling
PYTHONESQUE: How very interesting that those who support
Catholic schools are the very ones to label the rest of us intolerant. Well
worthy of Monty Python.
John Blackley
Austin, Texas
