After the riots

A chara, – The Irish primary school sector has endeavoured to deliver a crowded curriculum in a thorough, professional and holistic…

A chara, – The Irish primary school sector has endeavoured to deliver a crowded curriculum in a thorough, professional and holistic manner. School teaching is a difficult and little understood activity which requires capable and highly trained practitioners.

Nick Davies, in The School Report, Why Britain's Schools are Failing, outlined in detail a system of education which was polemical and divisive, due primarily to political ineptitude and interference.

We are now seeing the results of this flawed educational system in the riotous behaviour of the many young people who took to Britain’s streets last week. I am dismayed by the reports, opinion and comment in the media thus far. The only reference I have heard to the UK’s system of education is the fact that the children were on school holidays.

We here in Ireland have unnecessarily aped much of Britain’s efforts at reforming its system of education. It often happens that when our near neighbour catches a cold, we are the first ones to sneeze. Watch the streets! – Yours, etc,

COLIN QUIGLEY,

Chairman INTO,

Athboy,

Trim, Co Meath.