Sir, – Congratulations to Carl O’Brien on an excellent article “Rich Land, Poor Land” (Weekend Review, January 6th).
However, as a teacher in a disadvantaged area I was more than a little upset at the description of what Trutz Haase calls the “neighbourhood effect” – “concentrations of local authority housing, lone parents and lower quality teaching (my emphasis) lower levels of expectations for children and peer pressure on young people”. Teachers in schools in disadvantaged areas are equally highly qualified as those in privileged areas and have welcomed the training and additional support (as well as work) in programmes such as Deis, which have been proven to raise standards and expectations.
Pamela Duncan (January 7th) provided an in-depth look at an area of concentrated disadvantage – Donegal. This was great stuff, but how about continuing with an exploration of the removal of services, the dismantling of community development projects, the exacerbation of poverty and the withdrawal of teachers and funding from the poorest schools? Poverty and inequality are not natural phenomena – they are man-made and recently made much worse by Budget 2013. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – Pamela Duncan’s article on the 2011 deprivation index made for interesting reading. If one were to draw a map of Ireland showing the lack of motorways, railways, proposed natural gas connections, internet connectivity, mobile blackspot . . . one county would stand out, Donegal. Maybe that explains the referendum results up here! Is mise,