Sir, - The penny has finally dropped, and the Government has copped on that there is a shortage of young, male students entering the teaching profession at primary level, making the classroom almost totally the domain of the female.
The Government wonders why this is. Well, I could have predicted this many months ago because as the mother of three sons, two of whom had a leaning towards primary teaching and had had more than enough of that dreaded six-letter word "points", lacked, unfortunately, the compulsory Irish at Honours level.
Why the shortage of men? Well, historically, it has been proven that girls apply themselves far better than boys when it comes to studying Irish at the higher level, thus giving them the advantage over boys to enter the teacher-training colleges. Why this big emphasis on Honours Irish anyway? Does the Government not think it preferable that prospective primary school teachers (either male or female) have a good standard of English, maths, science, etc in their Leaving Cert and have the correct outlook and disposition essential for this very taxing profession, than have of these, but have a good smattering of Irish at Honours level? (They may be very able to teach the language proficiently but sometimes fall flat on their feet when it comes to teaching these other, I feel, necessary subjects).
Unless the Department of Education modifies its rules and permits students who have a good standard of Irish at the ordinary level to enter the teacher-training colleges, I'm afraid the primary classroom will be pigeonholed by the fairer sex (with the exception, perhaps, of a small scattering of boys from the Gaeltacht). - Yours, etc.,
Theresa Goodwin, Newpark, Portlaoise, Co Laois.