Bloated Bertie and fat-cat officials fuel the teachers’ sense of grievance

LISTENING to some of the teachers and the union representatives moaning during the week one could be tempted to suggest that what we need is to bring back corporal punishment and flog those teachers.

Everyone in the country — public service and private sector — is going to have to take a cut. It is particularly disconcerting to hear teachers proclaiming they are basically going to resist reality.

“Teachers’ salaries each year cost the taxpayer €4 billion,” so Edward Walsh, former president of the University of Limerick, seemed to think it would be a good thing if teachers went on strike for a year, as this would save the economy €4 billion. He accused the teachers of “behaving like spoiled children”.