Sir, – As a superannuated teacher, albeit male, I was greatly heartened by Fintan O’Toole’s piece (Opinion, December 27th) in which he lauded public servants who are about to retire. While not employing tinted specs, Mr O’Toole genuinely lamented wonderful people who will soon be lost from service.
I am especially glad that the writer affirms teachers, a group often maligned. Teaching is a vocation that cannot easily be compared to any other area of endeavour, a profession on which everybody in society is a self-proclaimed expert. Teaching nowadays is much more difficult than when I started in 1970. Child-rearing and behaviour have changed remarkably, as have family structures and values, perceptions of authority figures, societal attitudes and expectations, leisure pursuits and much more. Coupled with these, the work of a teacher has become an onerous balancing act: looking to the core subjects, as well as peripheral, but important, areas such as planning/record-keeping, in- school vision and parental pressure; and balancing individual versus group needs. Then, to heap misery on the overworked, too many are quick to trace all society’s ills back to the school.
Three cheers, Mr O’Toole; in an era of public servant-(read “teacher”-) bashing, he has effected his own balancing act! – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I agree wholeheartedly with Fintan O’Toole’s commendation and praise for our retiring public servants (Opinion, December 27th).
He mentions especially the women teachers and nurses who joined the public service in the 1970s.
A pity he spoils a worthy tribute by his cheap and petty reference to “these self-sacrificing people having to navigate their way through the hypocrisies [!!] of Catholic-run schools and hospitals.” I would have thought that Mr O’Toole would have generously included in his words of praise the other Irish citizens, viz the nuns and brothers now retired also or even deceased who working for nothing in these same “hypocritical”? schools and hospitals propped up the educational and medical services of this State in the poor years. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – For the long-overdue acknowledgment of the generous and significant work of departing public servants, who have contributed so much to the quality of life in this country: thank you Fintan O’Toole. May I join with him in saluting a form of patriotism largely ignored in public discourse. – Yours, etc,