Madam, - In reporting on his research into the choices made by the students of what he terms "the elite 450 Points Club", Dr Seán McDonagh claims that it is "remarkable that 12 per cent of such students go to teacher training colleges" (Education Today, January 17th).
Why is this "remarkable"? Is it "remarkable" that high achievers should want to be primary school teachers?
Is it "remarkable" that not all high achievers are motivated by the lure of high-paid jobs?
Is it "remarkable" that some of our young people actually enjoy the notion of nurturing future generations with no gain for themselves in terms of social status, glamour or real promotion prospects as they advance in years and experience?
Has it not always been the case that those students who "got the call" were the high academic achievers of the Leaving Cert?
When it was possible to gain entry to university with only two honours, those who wished to go to the colleges of education had to have a minimum of four honours (and at an earlier time, six honours were required). With this history, it is hardly "remarkable" that high achievers in the Leaving Cert still choose to enter this underrated profession. This is not a new phenomenon.
In his poem The Deserted Village, Oliver Goldsmith tells how the people of the village listened to their teacher:
"And still they gazed and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew".
Goldsmith lived in the 19th century. Why, in the 21st century, should we be amazed that primary school teachers are highly able academically? What parent would relish the thought of entrusting their young children to the care of less able teachers?
Indeed, who better to fire the enthusiasm of those students who will eventually enter the realms of technology, industry or medical research than someone who loves learning for its own sake and who has proved himself capable of successfully pursuing an academic path? - Yours etc,
SIOBHÁN KIRWAN-KEANE, Deerpark Avenue, Castleknock, Dublin 15.