And
if you were deciding where to send your children to school, would
you prefer a school with children of only your own religion, or a
mixed-religion school?
NB: Square brackets indicate where the text was edited.
Personally I think if Protestant and Catholic people mixed more there
would be less prejudice towards each other. I think all schools should
be mixed especially primary schools, so children understand that Protestants
are no different to us really.
The sooner all schools are of a mixed religion then the sooner all
religion will end.
Integrated schools prepare children for the future as they not only
introduce you to people of different religions but also of different
traditions and cultures. This prepares you better for the outside
world as you are able to interact with them.
think that education about other religions and cultures is the way
forward. Ignorance breed sectarianism, suspicion and hatred and because
a lot of schools and communities in Northern Ireland are not mixed,
there is a lot of ignorance because of this. Being a Catholic, I disagree
with extreme loyalists, but also with extreme republicans. I do not
see any reason, other than narrow-mindedness, why people cannot practice
their own beliefs and allow others to practice theirs.
I think the main reason for ill feeling between Catholics and Protestants
is that a difference is made between the two religions. I don't think
a difference should be made, children starting school should be of
mixed religions so that they can find out each others lifestyles and
grow up to be friends instead of enemies. Also I think a lot more
cross community projects should be put into action throughout all
schools.
[I] believe there should be more mixed religion schools in N. Ireland,
as I believe lack of knowledge and understanding of the opposite community
is the biggest problem. There should be more cross community projects
for teens whose opinions can be moulded. Single religion sports like
Gaelic and Rugby should be worked on so that both communities play
them. Should be more interaction between the different churches.
I feel that more integrated schools would help.
More work needs to be done to bring students from different religions
together.
[…] I think mixed schools would be a good idea as you could give
young people the opportunity to grow up with each other and learn
about different traditions and cultures, instead of being told what
is right and wrong by others. People would then really be able to
accept each other and we could move on. You can't change history but
you can change the future.
The feelings between the relations are due to the way we are brought
up. If we actually took time to listen to what each other say we would
get on really well but the problem is we don't. I feel that there
should be more integrated schools and parks. This would mean a more
friendly environment for our children and also less fighting.
[I] feel that single religion schools limit contact with other young
people from different religions.
Because most of the schools we go to and the areas that we live in
are off the same religion, we don't get a chance to meet people of
a different religion that often.
Going to an integrated school changed my views on different religions.
I was able to find out what people from different religions were like
for myself. There should be more integrated schools.
If pupils don't learn to mix in school levels, they won't mix in
adulthood.
[I] think that everyone should mix with each other without any violence.
I went to a mixed religion school for 5 years and never saw any fights
over religion. I wish it could just be the same outside school.
I think there needs to be more integrated schools, as it is where
young people get to mix and understand each other better.
The reason [why] I would want to send my children to a Catholic school
is because I think mixed schools would mean children would receive
less religious education and this would be wrong as religion is already
becoming less important in day to day life. I also think one reason
why community relations are so bad is because we are not taught enough
about other religions in school. Each community doesn't really understand
the other's religion.
I think a minor group tend to specify between the Protestant and
Catholic communities, however personally I judge people more by their
personality, not their religious identity. I would like my children
to go to a school of their own religion so they can learn and develop
through it, without the influence of others.
Although I would send my children to a Catholic school, I would always
be tolerant of other religious views, I would discourage bigotry at
all times. This is what my parents have done and I now feel indifferent
but tolerant towards Protestants. I know many Protestants but treat
them like my Catholic friends except for talking about politics or
football.
In my experience inter-religion relations tend to be better between
better educated and more affluent people than those people with a
more limited education. I think that people who have a better education
come into more contact with other people from the other main religious
group. I also think that those who are better off accept people on
the size of their bank balance or address and don't limit this to
one religious group. I also think that grammar schools lead to greater
tolerance as different religions are brought together and acceptance
is related to intelligence and not religion.
I would prefer to stay within my own religion, for obvious reasons,
and when my son is of age for nursery, he will be attending a Protestant
nursery where there will be no discrimination.
The whole sectarian issue probably affects the day-to-day lives of
people living in the city much more than it does mine. Of course prejudice
is still present in my town but it's never acted on in the form of
violence. There is still a really distinct divide in our town, which
really saddens me, with only one integrated secondary school to five
single religion ones. I can joke about sectarianism with my Catholic
and Protestant friends but I get really angry if people show themselves
to be truly prejudiced. Recently I've noticed also some people being
shockingly racist and acting like it was acceptable. I think many
people in NI are becoming increasingly resentful towards foreign immigrants,
using excuses like 'they are taking our jobs' to cover up a previously
unknown, deep-seated racism inside themselves.
