YP Letters: Columnist's lack of faith in our schools

FOR a former vicar, GP Taylor’s attitude to faith schools is, if anything, a little strange (The Yorkshire Post, August 2).

Perhaps a brief history lesson is in order.

Prior to the relatively recent advent of state education in 1870, all of the nation’s schools were either church schools or charitable foundations endowed by groups or individuals, usually with some pious intent.

Most of them are now funded one way or another out of the public purse, but a sizeable proportion of the nation’s primary and secondary schools are still either church schools or have some other faith connection.

Many faith schools have a hard earned and well deserved reputation as places of excellence.

It is hardly surprising
that demand for places is
high and some people, anecdotally at any rate, play the system. Selection by faith is, however, much the same as selection by postcode or parental purse.

Class is a subjective matter and I regard myself as a working class lad who survived going to state ‘county’ schools at times when there was no such thing as parental choice, at least in the modern sense.

I defy anyone, however, to criticise articulate, intelligent people for trying to make sure their offspring have the best start in life possible. It’s a natural parental instinct.

There’s no reason for faith schools to teach a narrower curriculum or promote less inclusive ideas than any others.

As to the question of indoctrination, children are perfectly capable of assessing simply presented religious ideas for themselves and forming their own view of whether they’re true or not

Perspectives over BBC pay

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY share Brian Sheridan’s bemusement concerning the names and salaries of certain BBC ‘celebrities’ (The Yorkshire Post, August 1), but it’s not just the BBC, is it? Is there no way we can differentiate between “earning” based on merit and “acquiring” based on guile?

Like him and the Royal Albert Hall audience, I found the combination of an all-British programme, played by a superb German orchestra, totally captivating. That this was conducted by the great internationalist musician, Daniel Barenboim, only heightened the evening.

It’s rather ironic that this memorable concert came just as we are preparing to jump ship and go splashing off to an uncertain ‘land of hope and glory’; smugly secure in the knowledge that, somehow or other, Jack will be all right and let the rest of Europe go hang.

New leads on rural policing

From: Peter Hyde, Driffield.

READING the article (The Yorkshire Post, August 3) about sheep and lamb injuries caused by out of control dogs reminded me of a couple of cases I dealt with when I was a country 
bobby.

The first concerned a farmer who sought advice as he was pestered by a couple of dogs among his sheep.

The next day the owner of the dogs called to tell me he had lost his dogs and believed they had been shot by said farmer. This proved to be the case.

I explained to the dog’s owner that the farmer had acted within the law.

That was the end of that. The next case involved a farmer who shot a dog running along a lane near his field where he had sheep with lambs.

He was prosecuted and fined. His comment later was that the fine was money well spent because the publicity the case was given meant all the local dog owners made sure their dogs were kept under control and he was no longer bothered by these pets chasing his sheep.

Energy policy has no power

From: Dave Haskell, Cardigan, Ceredigion.

HOW ironic that a gas company (British Gas) is putting up the price of electricity when the world is awash with cheap gas!

Indeed, electricity prices could plummet and our energy security be virtually guaranteed if only common sense would prevail with the quick build of relatively cheap and cleaner-than-coal gas fired (CCGT) power stations.

At the other end of the scale, the prohibitively expensive and environmentally threatening proposed Hinkley Point nuclear power station has to be as a

consequence of a discussion at the ‘Mad Hatters Tea Party’.

Crassness of tiger deaths

From: Aled Jones, Southcliffe Road, Bridlington.

I AM totally opposed to the destruction of the tiger species which have provided the world with so much grace and beauty for countless aeons.

I cannot understand the attitude of rich people, especially in Laos, dining on tiger meat; just what kind of person would eat an endangered animal for the thrill of it?

It’s really hard to believe that this level of crassness exists.

Booking in at market town

From: Margaret Hartley, Oakwood Drive, Bingley.

THE second hand bookshop in Pickering, North Yorkshire, seems to go from strength to strength (The Yorkshire Post, August 1). It is run by very knowledgeable, helpful staff; is always busy and recently built an extension to accommodate more books! I visit it frequently and always find a suitable book.