Sir, - Is there any possibility that the Minister for Education's concern for students will extend to tackling the crisis of underfunding in our schools? He has been forthright in his condemnation of teachers for their supposed lack of concern for their students. Perhaps he should take a closer look at the education system over which he presides before he makes any further comments.
Ireland has some of the largest class sizes in the advanced world: according to the Department of Education and Science, more than 161,000 children are in classes of 30 to 40 pupils. Hundreds of children attend schools that are rat-infested, unhygienic and unsafe.
Over 15,000 young people leave school every year without sitting the Leaving Certificate. Some 65 per cent of secondary schools recently reported that they had inadequate or outdated science equipment. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The Minister, unfortunately, has very little to say about such matters and how they affect students' prospects of exam success. He and his Government consistently refuse to invest adequately in education and are now using school students as pawns in their battle to impose the PPF and benchmarking on all workers in this country.
ASTI members are correct to follow the politicians' example and to seek substantial pay increases outside the benchmarking process. Maybe it's time we all followed their lead and supported them in the face of the vicious campaign of vilification being orchestrated by the Government and the media. - Yours, etc.,
Deirdre Cronin, (INTO member), Ludford Road, Ballinteer Dublin 16.