Sir, - Michael O'Boyle (January 15th) said teachers must be reimbursed for their docked wages "before irreparable damage is done...." I am shocked that as a teacher he seems blind to the damage that the strike action has already done, especially to Leaving Cert students.
My fellow schoolmates and I were initially bemused by the teachers' proposals to withdraw supervision. I've now come to harbour grave concern on realising that this strike is no joking matter. We are trying to keep up with the work, but unfortunately the Leaving Cert is no molehill and this mountain we face gets steeper as time elapses. We are fretting about the impossibility of being compensated for the time stolen from us.
By the time this letter reaches you, my classmates and I will have missed over 100 classes due to the strike. That's 100 extra classes the grind schools have had, 100 classes most boarding schools have had, and 100 classes some community schools have had.
While ASTI teachers are to be compensated for docked pay, I wonder who will negotiate our compensation for the missed days and constant disruption we struggle to survive.
Finally, I urge all 60,000 Leaving students to make sure they have registered to vote. Keep a close eye on what your TDs are doing for us. We will have an opportunity to show our appreciation at the next general election. Make sure both you and your parents vote on the day. - Yours, etc.,
Jane Ferry,(Leaving Certificate student),St Catherine's Avenue, South Circular Road, Dublin 8.