A familiar scenario has been played out all over Ireland in the recent days as parents are seen leading children to their first day at school. This marks the beginning of 12 years of schooling that, while being challenging at times, will be both happy and rewarding as children develop in a safe and nurturing environment. The situation for Palestinian children today is markedly different.
Already this year, 79 Palestinian children have been brutally killed by Israeli forces. Many more have been injured or traumatised. Palestinian children are under daily attack as they make their way to and from school. According to Defence of Children International – Palestine, an independent human rights organisation, many are forced to walk through Israeli military checkpoints and be searched on their way to school. One student reports that when she asked not to go through the search room she was shouted at by an Israeli soldier who threatened to shoot her. She and her classmates were terrified.
Other students are subject to detention and interrogation. Many of these fall so far behind they end up repeating a grade or dropping out.
A school principal in Nablus reports that Israeli soldiers regularly block the school entrance causing intense stress and anxiety to students.
During 2020, the Norwegian Refugee Council documented an average of 10 attacks on education per month by Israeli authorities and settlers. Currently, at least 53 schools in the Occupied Palestinian Territory have demolition orders issued against them. Overall, the United Nations estimates that more than half a million Palestinian children face challenges in accessing education in a safe, child-friendly environment.
To highlight these egregious violations of children’s rights by the Israeli authorities Sadaka – the Ireland Palestine Alliance has joined with Defence of Children International – Palestine, to initiate a campaign under the slogan ‘No Way to Treat a Child’.
We are asking our government, and the political parties, to seriously consider if condemnation of Israel’s continuing breaches of international law is enough. Surely much more needs to be done to end these crimes against children. Ireland’s presidency of the UN Security Council in September provides a perfect opportunity to address these issues at the highest possible political level.
JUSTIN KILCULLEN
Dublin 18
Parents should take a more active part in their children’s education
As I write this letter a former cardinal in the Church is appearing before court on charges of sexual abuse. There is no doubt about it, my letter on ‘Catholic schools RIP’ has hit a raw nerve and that is revealing in and of itself.
I hope that my letter will, in a post-Covid society, provoke parents and teachers to take an active interest in their children’s education and ask what kind of school do we want our children to attend?
I’m sorry if my letter caused hurt and pain to the many good teachers in our schools. Catholic schools were, and still are in some cases, elitist.
To those who accused me of being a failed teacher, you are right but at least I accepted the truth and got out and did not waste my life in the staff room constantly bitching and blaming the senior management for my failure to control my classes.
To those of you who are living in Lalaland hankering back for ‘the good old days’ the fact is that many good Catholics do not want the model of the Church of the future to be a male-dominated priesthood and hierarchy that has been shown to be a catastrophic moral failure of global proportions.
‘New wine into new wine skins’ - the Church of the future in Ireland and indeed elsewhere will at long last regain her prophetic voice, God will raise up men and women who will be that prophetic voice and she will no longer be defending the status quo or be beholden to the GAA.
As GK Chesterton said: “Without education, we are in the horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.”
FR PAUL O’CONNELL
St Paul Catholic Church,
Douglas GA, US
Concerns over honouring of UK pensions
On many occasions when discussing Irish unity, private individuals will express concern as to whether UK state, public service and private pensions will be honoured and paid to those living in a united Ireland. Could I therefore propose the following?
In the lead up to the necessary referendum the Irish government should take the lead role in securing confirmation from the UK government and private companies that they
will in fact be definitely honoured. This is straightforward but simultaneously important to people as they will obviously want the return on their contributions and service. I believe there is precedent as various assurances were given in the lead up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
The Irish government should also confirm that those people who have for example less than the qualifying period/contributions at the time of unity will have the value of those UK state pension contributions brought into the Irish pension system – this will be a financial arrangement between both governments. Again, this ought to be very straightforward but still important to people in this category.
Lastly, pension ‘experts’ should be prepared to work pragmatically on any anomalies which may transpire.
DR BILLY LEONARD
Former MLA and author of Towards a United Ireland, Kilkee, Co Clare
Appropriate conflict zone administration
About 1,000 years ago, in the Liao Empire of the Khitans, “every three years the [eight] chieftains... gathered to re-elect [the] khaghan” and that worked quite well. Sadly, on taking over China, the leader rather liked the idea of being a primogeniture emperor, so that was the end of that.
A shorter term of office was used in Ragusa (Dubrovnik) where the Rector served for only three months, and that too was pretty good; not perfect, of course, so they changed it to just one month.
There is no reason to suggest that, in a democracy, a premier should have the power to re-shuffle, at will or whim – to act like an “elected dictator,” to quote Lord Hailsham. At the very least, the Tory MPs could elect the cabinet; at best, the entire parliament could elect the government, an all-party, power-sharing executive, not unlike Switzerland’s all-party Federal Council. MPs could use a two-dimensional ballot – the colour-blind, PR matrix vote – to choose, in order of preference, not only those whom they want to be in cabinet, but also the portfolio in which they wish each nominee to serve. The outcome is bound to be an inclusive, all-party, power-sharing executive, the sort of administration which could be appropriate for conflict zones… and could have been used in Afghanistan.
PETER EMERSON
Director, the de Borda Institute
