Early Start

Sir, - In your Education and Living supplement of October 19th, Ms Jackie Bourke confidently states (in brackets!) that: "Indeed…

Sir, - In your Education and Living supplement of October 19th, Ms Jackie Bourke confidently states (in brackets!) that: "Indeed Early Start did not pass its evaluation with flying colours." What an incisive comment based, no doubt, on unanimous testimony!

Is Ms Bourke's analysis founded on the entire text of the evaluation report or even on substantial excerpts?

Those of us involved are confident of the contribution of Early Start in the areas of social interaction, parental involvement and cognitive skills. Have journalistic standards in The Irish Times deteriorated to such an extent that an entire sector of Irish education can be damned so unreasonably? - Yours, etc.,

Kathleen Haverty, Acting Principal, North Presentation Primary School, Gerald Griffin Street, Cork.