Catholic education debate is 'poisoned by snobbery'

The debate on the future of Catholic Secondary Schools has been ''poisoned by snobbery'' and the desire to maintain a ''postcode lottery'' for inequality in education, according to Seamus Quinn, Chair of the Catholic Principals Association (CPA).

Secondary school principals in the North are calling on their bishops to ''turn the light'' on those who support the continuation of ''socially selective'' Catholic grammar schools as part of a review of post primary education.

The CPA says current proposals provided by the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE), would see an extension of a ''postcode lottery'' system whereby grammar schools select students on the basis of social background.

''There's this opinion among grammar schools that the approach should be to keep the best and improve the rest but if we're responsible for all our children, as our Catholic faith teaches, keeping the best just perpetuates an unjust system,'' Seamus Quinn, Chair of the CPA told The Irish Catholic.

Selective

''Grammar schools remain socially selective. What we have at the minute is a postcode lottery and the whole debate has been poisoned by snobbery. The only difference between these schools is social background; there is no difference in the education being provided.''

The Association has praised the lead heretofore taken by the Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland who in a statement on the proposed changes in education have voiced their ''clear opposition to the introduction of independent academic assessment tools by schools as a temporary or future means of pupil selection'', favouring instead a network of co-ability and mutually supportive schools.

''The term 'Catholic' means universal. Thus, a school calling itself 'Catholic' cannot act in isolation from other Catholic schools or from the educational community as a whole,'' the statement reads.

Seamus Quinn says the bishops have shown real leadership: ''They've been extremely courageous on this matter. In what are difficult times for them, it would have been easy for them to hide but they've given clear direction. This is one issue they have been head and shoulders above everyone else on.''

Step Further

However, Mr Quinn is now calling on the bishops to go a step further.

''They need to challenge those who are defying their will. It can be done a respectful way but it must be done in light of our role as Catholic educators.

''The bishops must especially question the clergy who still support grammar schools and get them to justify their actions.

''It's not our job to cast stones at our partner schools but it's time to turn the light on them. Many of these grammar schools are owned by religious orders and yet they're testing the will of their own bishops. Someone has to ask what they are at,'' Mr Quinn said.

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