I took part this evening in a session called ‘Acts of God’ run by the churches in Dunkeld as part of an exploration of what they call ‘the curious nature of God’ I was supposed to talk about healing and reconciliation – which means that I talked about what I always talk about. And this time the Powerpoint did work. As always at this kind of event, there are interesting people around and you never quite know who you are talking to – and there are almost always people who served in the army in Northern Ireland and who have an intimate knowledge of the ditches of South Armagh. Reactions also included a vehement condemnation of education provision divided on religious grounds. No – I can’t see why it is necessary either.
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Well – yes. But the context of the comment was probably the current ‘debate’ in Scotland in which the Catholic church is strenuously attempting to sustain its denominationally-based education system. I don’t think I altogether agree with your rosy picture of the NI system – where a selective system has benefitted middle class children at the expense of others. Today’s Irish Times – in the freebie E Mail edition which I get – headlines the large numbers of middle class young people from the protestant community who go to university in Britain and never return. I have always believed that this was a major factor in the poor quality of ‘leadership in depth’ in the protestant community.
Beams and motes? What about the British education system based on wealth and class creating huge chasms and an underclass without hope? Northern Ireland, for all its faults, is a considerably more equal society than Scotland or England.