Madam, - Susan Fitzgerald, a delegate at the INTO conference, is "shocked and outraged" at "masqueraders" (unqualified teachers) appearing on the Teaching Council register (March 27th).
As a registered "unqualified teacher" may I make a few points that might be of interest?
I teach computer applications at a VEC-funded institution. I teach for two hours a day for three days a week. I teach because I like it, because I am good at it and because it is difficult to get a "qualified" teacher to take the hours.
I have been teaching this course since I retired eight years ago and I know it inside out.
My qualifications for teaching computers? I have had 38 years of Army service, instructing at every level from private to senior officer. I did my first night class in computers in 1982; I have done numerous Army computer courses and a six-months full-time Fás course in computer applications.
I have an interest in computers on a day-to-day basis and am always learning.
I don't have the academic qualifications to teach our precious children but I make up for it a hundred-fold in experience and interest; in the amount of time I am prepared to give to preparation; in the amount of time I devote to marking exercises and exams, attending teacher meetings etc. All are undertaken outside my paid teaching hours.
From what I read of the problems "qualified" teachers have in maintaining discipline in their classrooms, I could probably teach them a bit about that too.
Oh! And I'm cheaper, getting paid at a lower scale than "qualified teachers".
So, Ms Fitzgerald, don't try to condescend to me or other "unqualified teachers", who largely live in the real world and are prepared to teach for the love of it. Be grateful that we are here to take up the slack for you when you are sick or bereaved or on a "Course Day", etc.
When you have enough "qualified" teachers prepared to do the
work, then we will be redundant and I, for one, will be glad to
hand over the reins. - Yours, etc,
AJ MULLOWNEY,
Frenchfurze Grove,
Kildare.