Becky Lawrence (Letters, 26 January) incorrectly says that faith schools must give highest priority for admission to all looked-after and previously looked-after children (LAC). Paragraph 1.37 of the school admissions code is clear that while they “may” do this (and I believe many choose to do the decent thing), the legal obligation applies only to LAC “of the faith”. Other LAC can be left until every applicant of the faith has been admitted. It is true that they would be at the front of the queue of all those who are “not of the faith”; but in many cases this would still not be enough to secure admission.
Alan Parker
Former schools adjudicator
• Clifford Longley is correct that many of the UK’s 2,200 Catholic schools are owned by that church, and that some may well have been bought from congregation collection money in the distant past (Letters, 26 January). However, they have for many decades been maintained, refurbished and in some cases replaced wholly at the expense of UK taxpayers, most of whom are not religious at all. Longley claims a government buyout of these and other publicly funded religious schools would be prohibitively expensive. I’d suggest therefore that the government compulsorily purchase them at their economic value for educational use, net of the public capital contributions already made. Who knows, the Catholic church and other religions may in fact owe us something.
Damian Murray
Leeds
• I am not sure what Juliet Chaplin thinks we should learn from reflecting on the large number of people who have died for their faith (Letters, 26 January), but she might like to also consider the equally large numbers who have been more than happy to kill for their faith.
Paul Whitby
Market Lavington, Wiltshire
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