Teachers always strive to inspire

I MAKE reference to a recent editorial headed “A chance to inspire or divide” (April 26).

In the editorial, your writer makes mention of an OECD Programme which points to a lowering of standards in numeracy and literacy.

The strong implication is that teachers only were to blame. The following gem of low standards of literacy caught my eye: It is recorded that “one in four boys in that age bracket are illiterate”.

Sentences such as that were part of the Intermediate pass paper in English and were presented for correction.

If you need an answer I can supply same. I wonder would readers consider this sentence to be an indictment of standards of literacy within the Irish Examiner?

Please stop attacking teachers as if they had the security of bondholders and the pensions of ex-government ministers or bank CEOs.

Teachers always strive to inspire. Can this be said of the media?

Jim Quinlan

Retired secondary teacher

Douglas

Cork