Sir, – I am at loss to understand how the incorrect figures issued by the Department of Education made it to the front page of your newspaper (April 28th). I am glad to see that the department has since apologised for its error in response to “queries” from your newspaper about the numbers of second-level teachers who reported for duty during the two recent strike days.
What puzzled me however, is how your editorial team did not question the validity of these statistics, as I and I’m sure many of your readers did upon reading the article on Tuesday morning. I would have assumed it was quite clear that these figures simply did not add up and I am disappointed that the editorial team of a reputable newspaper such as yours did not think it appropriate to double-check these figures before going to print. – Yours, etc,
SIOFRA COX ,
Roscommon.
A chara, – We now know that 86 per cent of teachers were on strike action and had their pay docked on the days in question ("Apology for wrong strike figures", April 29th). The remainder were mainly part time non-unionised staff who would not have had the protection of industrial relations legislation if they did not report for work.
The strength of the mood within teaching can be judged from the fact that the ASTI has had to hire extra staff in order to deal with the over 1, 500 new membership applications received since this dispute began.
In over a quarter of a century of involvement in second-level education, I have never seen the teaching workforce more united, determined or content with its stand on an issue. The resolute and united stand taken by the ASTI and the TUI has worked wonders for teachers’ morale and will clearly feedback positively into the classroom. – Is mise,
KEVIN P McCARTHY,
Killarney,
Co Kerry.
Sir,- In your editorial “Leaving Certificate – Time for an overhaul” (April 28th), you state that “efforts to reduce pressure on students from one-shot exams, through the limited introduction of continuous assessment at Intermediate Level, have been vigorously opposed by teachers”.
This is not true. Teachers are not opposed to continuous assessment. Teachers are opposed to assessing their own students for State exam certification, and this opposition is a laudable attempt to maintain the objectivity and retain the integrity of State examinations. – Yours, etc,
WILLIAM DILLON,
Clonaslee,
Co Laois.