May 4.Among all the esoteric drivel of the recent Education Herald
series entitled ''An Educational Symbiosis'', it was more than a little
worrying to note that among all the big words, there was not one single
advantage of segregated Catholic education mentioned that has in any way
been borne out by the experiences of Glasgow's population.
Gerard and Michael both obviously feel that separate Catholic schools
are needed and then try very hard indeed to think up reasons to satisfy
this ethos, rather than vice versa. The closest that they came to
justifying the segregated educational system was that a unified system
would (Michael claims) ''eliminate the spiritual element of our culture
and young lives would be led unlit by the lamp of the gospel''.
As a Glaswegian, I consider myself very fortunate to have friends and
family from both sides of Glasgow's embarrassing religious divide (due
to the fact that I risked exclusion from the family will by marrying a
Catholic), all of whom have been through the segregated system. I am
sorry to rain on Michael's parade, but I can state, hand on heart, that
the Huns are absolutely no worse (or better) at displaying Christian
ethics and morals than the Tims are, and I would challenge anyone to try
and state that this is not the case across the whole populace.
The ''lamp of the gospel'' shining in Catholic schools simply has not
had any more effect on them than whatever shines in ''proddy'' schools
does on proddys. It is clear that the reasons for maintaining separate
education are simply a list of ''wouldn't it be nice if's . . .'' rather
than ''what are the implications of's . . .''
The facts are that separate education is divisive and elitist. It
causes our children to have narrow horizons and it engenders hate and
mistrust. As examples of this, you have only to look at the graffiti on
our walls, the songs which are sung at our football matches, and the
problems caused by our families when we decide to marry someone from
''the other side''.
Is it not disgusting that we decry apartheid in South Africa and yet
practise it educationally in our own backyard? Glasgow and the West of
Scotland is possibly the most religiously polarised area of Britain
(including Belfast) and we are still a laughing stock. Is it not strange
that it is here that segregated education is more prevalent?
I would not for a moment say that integrated education would solve our
problems on its own because I know how deep Glaswegian bigotry goes. It
would, however, be the first rung on the long ladder to a truly
Christian and, I may say, humanitarian society.
W. David Gordon,
39 Muirhead Way,
Bishopbriggs,
Glasgow.
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