School cuts lead to troubled teenagers

I WISH to endorse Harry Burke’s letter (“Scurrilous’ move to increase pupil/teacher ratio”, October 28). What sense he makes with so many children being brought up in one-parent families and troubled homes.

This is extremely difficult for any parent and if they are not going to get some help in our schools, may God help them and the rest of us who will be at the receiving end of what they dish out as troubled teenagers later in life.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe doesn’t have to go into a school and deal with disruptive children while at the same time trying to teach others who have no English. Such is the case nowadays with so many non-Irish people living here who are trying to learn basic English.

In the past so many children with difficulties never got one-to-one help and we are seeing the results of this on our streets today. They were made to feel there was no place for them in school because they could not sit down and learn and then they took to the streets.

Surely Mr O’Keeffe is aware of this? Maybe he should try a few days with 30 or so in the classroom (and do all the toilet duties, etc. which have to be done for young children).

Maura Deasy

Cherry Garth

Donnybrook

Douglas

Cork.