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.