Headmasters

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28620, 24 June 1958, Page 8

Headmasters

Sir, —It is not surprising that few Roman Catholics become principals of State secondary schools. Since few Roman Catholic children attend these schools, parents’ organisations, old boys associations and governing boards are presumably largely composed of Protestants. If these organisations feel, as most of them do, that a principal should have some religious i background they are not un ■ naturally attracted to applicants of their own faith. A community with a strong Presbyterian influence would tend to favour a Presbyterian and so on. The point may be that our system is secular only as far as Protestants are concerned, and that Roman Catholics have their independent schools.—Yours, etc., GOVERNOR. June 23, 1958.

Sir,—ln case “Catholic Graduate” is not the only one. misled by Dr. Spurdie’s statement about Roman Catholic headmasters, it should be pointed out that it is surely only fair to consider all the schools, both public and private, in the country. How does the proportion of Roman Catholic headmasters in all schools compare with the proportion of Roman Catholic adherents or of Roman Catholic teachers in the country? A denomination that xriakee great

efforts to educate its children outside the national system can hardly claim the right (whether discrimination exists against it,, or not) to occupy positions of trust and authority in that system over the children whose parents support that system.—Yours, etc., 8.1. H. ‘ June 23, 1958.