Madam, - As a former island curate I appeal to the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, to personally intervene to ensure that the island national schools in Inis Meáin and Inis Turk keep their second teachers.
Departmental officials seem unable or unwilling to grasp the fact that an island is not like a country village: parents cannot drive their children a few miles down the road if they feel that one teacher cannot give adequate attention to a dozen or more pupils between the ages of four and 14.
The idea that a teacher (with a family) made redundant in an island school would be expected to commute across 10 miles of Atlantic twice daily beggars belief. Does the Department intend to provide helicopters? A strong case could be made to have the civil servants involved decentralised to offshore islands to educate the "educators" with a dose of reality.
The Minister has shown care and concern in areas, remedial teaching in particular. Please extend that care to island children. - Yours, etc,
Fr PÁDRAIG STANDÚN, Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, Co Mhaigh Eo.