Mood at teacher conferences

A chara, – In coverage of the INTO conference, it is disappointing to note that many delegates seem to have failed to educate…

A chara, – In coverage of the INTO conference, it is disappointing to note that many delegates seem to have failed to educate themselves as to the causes of the current fiscal difficulties.

INTO general secretary John Carr’s speech stated: “Teachers who had neither hand, act, nor part in the country’s economic collapse bitterly resent ‘having their pockets picked’ to bail out bankers, speculators and developers.”

True, bankers made easy credit available for builders to flood the market, but Mr Carr fails to acknowledge that teachers were paid much more than the country could afford on the back of this bubble. The bubble has now burst.

In accepting this pay, which is generous compared to their contemporaries in the UK, teachers have played their part in the country’s current economic difficulties. It is disingenuous to state otherwise. INTO and others played a very large part in negotiating such generous but ill-conceived terms, and Mr Carr should acknowledge this rather than ladling out emotive half-truths.

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Until the public sector reflect on the realities of the current situation and their partnership in arriving here, it will prove difficult to move forward together. – Is mise,

STIOFÁN MacCLÉIRIGH, Domhnach Bat, Baile Átha Cliath.

Madam, – As a sometimes unruly schoolchild, I confess to participating in a meaningless pre-arranged charade whereby every member of the class, on having his name called for the roll, stood and turned his back to the teacher. The inevitable was delayed for a few minutes and the only practical result was the exasperation and irritation of the teacher.

I hope I have learned from my mistakes. The annual puerile misbehaviour of teachers at their conferences, which has much in common with a lawless classroom on an open day, confirms that they have not. – Yours, etc,

ROBERT ROONEY, Townsend Street, Dublin 2.