Your front page (December 6) carried an article quoting the views of the Archbishop's delegate for Catechesis, Fr René Camilleri, on the teaching of Religion in Malta. Among other things, he said that teachers of religion make their students learn essays off by heart.

I wish Fr Camilleri would not make sweeping statements. Very few teachers do this. I also wish he would quote his sources before speaking so openly.

Fr Camilleri finds our teaching "unbearable". I would like to know how many schools and parishes he has visited. I know for a fact that he has never been to my school. Why does he not deign to discuss his misgivings with the teachers of religion? Why does he not assess the teachers' performance and find out which of the teachers is not teaching properly and speak to him/her. Why do all the teachers have to take the blame?

Fr Camilleri should also note that in-service courses for religion teachers are held every year and, in fact, this year the new syllabus was discussed in detail. He failed to mention that the new syllabus for religion will be ready in seven years' time. This we found out, to our great dismay, at the end of our in-service course.

I am sure that Fr Camilleri will try, in future, to communicate better with teachers of religion in schools and teachers of Catechism classes in parishes for the benefit of our students' religious knowledge and formation.