BY attributing the adjectives "siren" and "ultra-montane" to those voices raised against the invitation to Nicola Sturgeon to deliver the Cardinal Winning lecture, Kevin McKenna ("Catholic schools are not a right, even a God-given one", The Herald, January 20) is falling into the trap of using pejorative language to belittle those who have a different viewpoint from his own.

it is misguided to assume that those who believe certain acts to be wrong, therefore have no experience of "complex human issues" nor compassion for fellow human beings living in harrowing situations. It is blatantly unfair to state that opponents of abortion care little about the circumstances that might induce any woman to take such a step.

I venture to say that perhaps this issue has been so hurtful to so many because it is concerned with invitation to speak at the Cardinal Winning lecture, a man whose name is so closely linked with opposition to abortion. There is a lack of sensitivity here (“Bishop defends Sturgeon lecture amid row over abortion stance”, The Herald, January 20).

While most Catholics are happy that Catholic schools are supported by the present Scottish Government, principles ought not to be compromised by gratitude, or for any other reason. Or is this what we mean by "getting real"?

Mr McKenna advocates we "change the model" with regard to our schools to accommodate "the divergent expectations of a post-Christian society". Think about how ridiculous this is. The schools are Christian.The raison d'etre is Catholicism.

Faith schools with emphasis on love, compassion and human dignity are all well and good. But schools with no faith element nurture these charisms too. Let us not be afraid of what makes each school different; Catholic or not.

We have to develop a society that respects the dignity in these differences.

Lastly, love and care should indeed be shown to all pupils, but we know not everything we do as adults or children is acceptable to God.

In the present climate, when to deny anyone anything is becoming feared, we do not like to mention that Jesus also said "Go and sin no more".

Nancy Clusker,

Edinburgh Road, Bathgate, West Lothian.

MANY thanks to Kevin McKenna for his article on Catholic schools. As a former Secondary teacher with over 35 years experience in both the Catholic sector and the so-called non-denominational sector, I found the article to be realistic regarding the merits of Catholic schools and agree that faith schools enjoy a privileged position in Scottish society.

However, Mr McKenna should take note that the hierarchy of the church still operates the archaic and subjective Catholic Approval system regarding the appointment of staff in Catholic schools, a system that is almost Trumpesque in its absurdity and lack of transparency.This system allows the church to retain its power and control over RC schools by appointing staff who satisfy the church's criteria contained in "personal religious belief and character", a criteria so vague and morally dubious that outstanding teachers who may be in a gay relationship, for example, may be rejected under.

In short, the approval system is a charade – everyone in Catholic education knows it but, like the emperor's new clothes, nobody wants to be the first to break ranks and say so, especially the significant number of staff outwith the Catholic religion who work in RC schools. They must view it with a mixture of bewilderment, apprehension and amusement. If Catholic schools are to continue to enrich the lives of young people, parents, teachers and the wider society then the church must devise a system to select staff that is based on morality, tolerance and compassion, without ambiguity and being open to abuse. Anything less, as Mr McKenna notes, will result in many believing that Catholic schools have outlived their value to Scottish society.

Owen Kelly,

8 Dunvegan Drive, Stirling.

KEVIN McKenna manages to contradict himself regarding Catholic schools. At one point he writes “Not a shred of evidence has ever existed to back the view that they (i.e., Catholic schools) encourage division” and then later writes “it is entirely reasonable for many to question why we stitch ideas of separation and division into the fabric of a child’s life at the age of five”. So, are separate Catholic schools divisive or not?

Many moons ago my Mum used to work at Possilpark Primary School, which had a playground adjacent to that of the local Catholic primary school. At playtime, the kids used to swap insults through the railings – Fenian this and Proddy that. And recently on Radio Scotland I heard Liz Lochhead tell of her surprise and sadness when, on reaching school age, not all of her friends attended the same school, and as a result she lost these friends from her life.

These are events from the past and I know that the situation has improved over the years, with some new schools having joint campuses, but no matter how the arguments are couched or nuanced the fact is that separate schools are, by definition, divisive.

Bill Stewart,

17 Benalder Street, Glasgow.

I NOTE Kevin McKenna’s comments upon the Catholic Church and Catholic schools in Scotland. He states that "discrimination against Catholics has now largely disappeared from Scottish society". On that point I believe that he is correct, and such a state of affairs is to be welcomed.

However, it should be remembered that when shiploads of Irish people were arriving in Scotland, particularly on the quaysides of Broomielaw in Glasgow, largely as a consequence of the continuing effects of the Great Famine of the 19th century, their arrival was greeted with much less than universal acclamation. For example, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1923 approved a report expressing concern about Irish immigration and it requested the government of the day to institute an inquiry into the situation with a view to the "preservation and protection of Scottish nationality and civilisation".

It is noteworthy that it was not until 2002 that the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland made an apology for its earlier criticisms of the Irish in Scotland by stating that "from a current perspective, it is a matter of regret that the committee [Church and Nation] and the church could have taken such a position". For some this was too little, too late.

Ian W Thomson,

38 Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie.