Sir, - The recently published OECD survey "Education at a Glance" contains a wealth of information on every aspect of education and deserves detailed study by the entire education community as well as media commentators and decision makers. The reports in The Irish Times (December 9th and 10th) emphasised key aspects such as the fact that our second-level schools have the largest class sizes and lowest per capita expenditure on students in the European Union and for most of the OECD.
The OECD also makes clear that our students - and indeed the Irish economy - are the beneficiaries of Ireland's rightly lauded education system, as is shown by the comparative test results for those studying mathematics and science.
However, your report (December 10th) misleadingly suggests that teaching hours at second level in Ireland are somewhat out of kilter internationally. The OECD's figures actually refer to "hours of instruction per class divided by the number of students per class".
Your paper's report makes no mention of the fact that we have the highest pupil-teacher ratios in the European Union and for most of the OECD. Obviously, if classes are overcrowded, the average classroom teaching time per student will appear lower. If there were five pupils fewer in the classroom such a figure would immediately rise, even though there would be no change in the time spent in the classroom by the teacher.
Finally, it should be pointed out that class-contact time represents only a small aspect of a teacher's working life. Preparation for classes, correcting homework, participating in a wide range of extracurricular activities such as drama, arts and sporting activities, meeting employers and students on placement as part of transition year, meeting parents - these constitute important parts of a teacher's working life which are not reflected in the figures quoted in your report. Failure to take these into account may lead to inaccurate and inadequate assessment of the critical role played by teachers in preparing our young people for adulthood.
It was refreshing and proper to see the Department of Education and Science state: "We value our teachers highly. Teachers are by far the most significant element in any education system. Unless you have quality teaching you won't have quality output." As a teacher, I endorse this sentiment unreservedly. - Yours, etc., John Hurley, President, ASTI,
Winetavern Street,
Dublin 8.