1. Only secular schools will overcome sectarianism

Comment #65739 by PeterHeasley on August 26, 2007 at 8:11 am

Mummymonkey, Non-denominational schools in NI are what they say on the tin. Along with the prayers and hymns in assembly, we could count on evangelical/Presbyterian/Church of Ireland (Anglican)clergymen/women coming in for lunchtime talks,and suchlike. However, it wasn't the imposition of religion directly that caused such a problem. It was the soley Protestant nature/makeup of the school that bred and breeds sectarianism. They truely are bastions of Protestant Unionism. I didn't attend a Catholic school, but from speaking to friends who did, the case seems to have been equally as bad except for a more concerted effort to indoctrinate religious beliefs.
It takes a concerted effort to make an integrated school in this country and I know a lot of areas have faced opposition in the setting up of such.
Aside from this, it is simply wrong that these people ought to be allowed to influence impressionable children with unjustifiable faith.

2. Only secular schools will overcome sectarianism

Comment #65732 by PeterHeasley on August 26, 2007 at 7:21 am

I too grew up in Northern Ireland and attended wholly Protestant schools both at primary and grammar school. During this period my sectarian beliefs were entrenched and during certain periods exacerbated due to in the in-group seige mentality that was created. It was not until university in England that I began to learn certain disciplines that would lead to a totally different line of thought processes which would lead eventually to my becoming atheist and a heck of a lot more liberal and tolerant.

I should point out that I come from an affluent area of Northern Ireland and went to one of the top schools. Sectarian division runs through the whole structure of our society.

As such I am completely opposed to faith schooling of any sort. I yearn for the time in which schooling is wholly secular, although i'm worried this might be a pipe dream.