Starting school - Pressure is for minister, not pupils

YESTERDAY morning nearly 60,000 Irish children began their primary school education.

Some youngsters cried the tears of those facing the unknown, parents fretted needlessly and experienced teachers scanned newly filled classrooms with an eye sharper than any radar, alert for the challenges ahead.

Some children began friendships that will endure a lifetime, others were energised by the prospect of learning new things, more were stimulated and enlivened by the company of their peers.