Sir, - Mr Joe Foyle (July 29th) suggests that no one should "be allowed to leave primary school to go on to second level without a Literacy and Numeracy Certificate, even if that meant repeating the final primary-school year again and again to succeed." What balderdash! Imagine the diminished self-esteem an unfortunate 11 or 12-year-old might have with this constant repetition! Take heed of Walden Thoreau's words (1854): "Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with out own private opinion. What a person thinks of himself, that is which determines... his fate."
How do we achieve success in primary level in numeracy and literacy for paisti na hEireann? May I offer some suggestions?
Smaller class sizes will go a long way to achieve this aim. Everyone who has had a child complete our State run primary cycle knows, on many occasions there can be up to 40 children in a class.
All primary schools merit an extra teacher if they have sufficient numbers by September 30th. However it is important to realise that we will not get this teacher until September 1998 - almost a full academic year away.
In the meantime, we are carrying large numbers and may have to refuse children a place during the year - children who a re entitled to be educated in their own parish. To alleviate this problem, I would earnestly beseech the Minister of Education, Micheal Martin, to allow primary schools whose numbers are sufficient to employ their extra teacher from October 1st of the existing school year and not be compelled to wait almost a full year. As teachers, we want to give quality service to our children. We need our full quota of quality teachers at the earliest possible opportunity for this service.
The last government's decision to abolish university fees was unfair to the concept of equality in education. Niamh Bhreathnach said (The Irish Times, July 30th) that the "gross third-level budget allocation itself has risen by 55 per cent from a 1992 allocation of £349 million to £540 million in 1997." God help us all - and the students are still complaining because they must contribute £250 a year towards an education which costs the state almost £5,000 per person.
As a Froebel-trained teacher herself, Ms Bhreathnach knows well the value of an early quality education. This is where the investment in education should be. Please let the sanctioned teacher work from October of the present school year, Mr Martin. It will go a long way to making Mr Foyle's literacy and numeracy suggestion effective. Children need quality teaching. This is the key to our nation's future. - Yours etc.,
Brenda Morgan, B.Ed,
Asgard Park, Howth, Co Dublin.