Teachers have always played an important role in all societies, but perhaps none more so than in this country, where they have had a central role in the social, cultural and educational development of Irish life.

In a country that was largely rural, poor and undereducated, teachers were seen as the leaders of society. Knowledge was wealth, and teachers held the key to that wealth. They were generally regarded as being on a par with the local doctor or parish priest within the local community. Most teachers could enjoy a reasonable lifestyle, but it was probably their standing in society more than pay that bestowed a high status on teaching as a profession.

Over the past 20 years that status has been gradually eroded. That's partly due to greater access to education for others and the wider availability of third level education. Teaching is now merely one of many professions that are available to young people.

Teacher status has also been affected by changes in societal attitudes to authority figures. Complaints about lack of respect coming from teachers are echoed by the Garda, church leaders and politicians, to name but a few.

However, all that being said, teachers are increasingly being expected to pick up the pieces where society has failed. High rates of family breakdown, alcoholism, drug addiction and child abuse are now fairly common problems affecting many schools. These are manifesting themselves in troubled and distracted pupils who frequently present serious behavioural problems in the classroom.

Teachers often feel under threat from this increase in social problems, because their role has expanded beyond what they were trained for and because they are often unable to access the specialist help which many of their pupils need. Many teachers are caught between the pressures of producing good exam results and trying to meet the psychological and emotional needs of their pupils. The ensuing frustration frequently leads to an undermining of the educational role and a sense of being abandoned in the midst of chaos.

Great gaps in support services - such as psychological services, speech therapy, counselling, and family supports - mean that teachers frequently feel that they are short-changing their pupils and failing them in reaching their potential. It is difficult to feel professional about your job in these circumstances.

It is also difficult to feel professional if you are expected to work in sub-standard conditions. Many teachers are still working in pre-fabs or poor quality school buildings, which would simply not be tolerated by any other group of workers. In addition, the general underfunding of education at both primary and second level means that teachers must frequently engage in fundraising in order to meet the basic running costs of schools, such as heating and cleaning.

Management is also a problem. In recent years both the private and public sector have recognised the importance of good management technique and staff development, but these principles have yet to be incorporated into the running of our schools. A teacher can find himself/herself as a classroom teacher one day and a school principal the next without any training at all in management or administration.

This can have implications for the successful operation of the school, and the value or otherwise which is attached to the contribution of individual staff members. And for teachers who want to remain in the classroom, there are only very limited opportunities for any kind of promotion.

You are what you earn

But the thing that has affected the standing of teachers most has been the dramatic economic and social changes that have occurred in Ireland over the past decade. Increasingly in these circumstances, status is determined by what you earn, and the evidence is that teachers do not earn very much. Starting pay for trained teachers is approximately £15,000, and it takes 25 years to reach the maximum of the scale at £30,000.

Teachers rightly claim credit for their part in creating the Tiger economy, but there can be nothing more demoralising for them than to see many of their past-pupil entering jobs with a starting salary that exceeds the maximum that they are ever likely to reach themselves.

Admittedly, teachers are not alone in this predicament. Despite all the championing of the strong economy, there are many workers who are not benefiting from the boom times. These are mainly employees in the service sectors, both public and private. These are the people who make our society function; they not only include teachers, nurses, junior doctors, childcare workers, civil servants and local Government employees, but also many low-paid workers in private companies.

As far as teachers are concerned, they have seen their financial and social status eroded over the past number of years. The booming economy is clearly rewarding and valuing some much more than others. There is a disillusioned teaching force in our classrooms. There is a serious scarcity of primary teachers, applications for the Higher Diploma in Education are dropping and many more teachers would retire if they could afford to.

Some of the criticisms of teachers are valid, such as the problem of dealing with under-performing teachers and the timing of parent-teacher meetings, but many of the problems are also symptoms of an education system that has evolved through an absence of trust and insufficient investment of resources.

Despite some advances in our schools in recent years, the education system is creaking. Much more needs to be done - and if we do not value our teaching force and restore their self-esteem, we may live to regret it.

Roisin Shortall TD is a former teacher and Labour Party spokesperson on education and children.