Madam, – With reference to Ireland’s dramatic drop from fifth to 17th place in OECD literacy ratings, Minister for Education Mary Coughlan stated that homes where children lacked reading material but had a TV in the bedroom were contributing to low literacy levels (Home News, December 17th).
If this is to be the Minister’s swansong before the Dáil dissolution it was worth waiting for, if only for its emphasis on the home’s responsibility in the matter.
Literacy levels should be of as much concern for the welfare of our society as the budget deficit or the banks’ reckless lendings during the brass-necked decade. What is at stake is the future of many of our children and their development potential. A home-school policy must be found to stimulate a love of books and a strategy to shield children from the overpowering pull of vacuous TV programmes.
– Yours, etc,