Letters to the Editor: Now is the time to reimagine educational experience
Dyslexia is a most debilitating educational millstone which absolutely causes havoc in developmental, emotional and behavioural as well as educational areas of growth.
Shauna Bowers reports on the criticism by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland (DAI) of the Leaving Certificate cycle as it currently operates — Dyslexia Association says Leaving Cert is too narrow and unforgiving (Irish Examiner, October 9).
Highlighting both the narrowness of delivery and the overall assessment models, the DAI calls for a more creative, wide-ranging approach to the curriculum and more training for teachers in assessing and supporting those students who have dyslexia.
Proper order too, given that 10% of students may have some degree of dyslexia.
Given that there is a well-oiled therapeutic range of programmes extant for both assessing and ameliorating the often crippling challenges that dyslexia can bring, there is no earthly reason why these are not available ‘de rigeur’ for every school in the country.
Dyslexia is a most debilitating educational millstone which absolutely causes havoc in developmental, emotional and behavioural as well as educational areas of growth.
And yet it can well be addressed and improved greatly with the correct therapeutic delivery.
The current education system’s narrow assessment modus operandum and limited, uninspired programme template is in dire need of a fully creative shake-up from top to bottom.
It seems that rote-learning still rules the roost, while creative flexibility takes a back seat leaving people who can’t perform on the tight-rope of fixed-memory splurge not being able to make the cut.
Add to that the overwhelming burden of dyslexia which makes life well nigh impossible in attaining one’s full potential which is ultra-frustrating for those concerned.
Thus, behavioural and personality issues along with significant underachievement can be their added burdens for life.
The confirmed fixity of the statutory education within its traditional models leaves little room for any such therapeutic insert.
Having worked for many years in (Déis-type) schools as a sessional music therapist with young children presenting with all sorts of emotional-behavioural issues, it always seemed that therapy and education were like oil and water — they don’t mix.
Why not, I ask, if that’s what’s required.
Given the recent Covid-19 interruptions to ‘normal’ schooling patterns, and especially the variations sought in the Leaving Cert cycle and assessment thereof, surely it is now an apposite time to check in for change and creative thinking to accommodate all students, irrespective of ability and compromise.
There is so much scope for re-imagining the educational experience and expanding opportunity for students.
There is no better time for taking stock than now ... right now.
As the season of goodwill draws nearer, it would be nice to think that retail staff, who have been keeping us all fed and supplied with essentials during Covid, could be treated a bit better.
Any customer service manual you care to look at rarely includes a chapter on how customers ought to behave.
This is especially true in the run-up to Christmas where retail staff will be attempting to deal with customers who just HAVE to have the latest gadget, eg. PlayStation 5.
It would be nice if retail staff were actually treated with something approaching courtesy and good manners by customers trying to get them.
A few points to remember:
- Spending a large amount of money on an item does not make you any better or worse than the person you are dealing with. Retailing can be uncertain and seasonal.
- Bear in mind that as some sales begin on December 26 those staff may only be having very little time with their families, or none at all if they have to work late on December 24 and have no running transport to travel home.
- Contactless payment has probably removed a horrible habit of throwing money on the counter instead of handing it directly to the person at the till.
- The person at the counter is the last person in the supply chain. It is not their fault if an item is not in stock or the manufacturer creates a supply scarcity to drive sales, so don’t vent your unjustifiable anger on them.
- Swearing at staff rarely achieves anything. There is no point in doing it.
Be nice. A smile goes a long way.
Cork city seems to be awash with street art, murals, and graffiti.
It just would not be permitted or allowed in the ‘leafy suburbs’ in most cases I would imagine.
Oftentimes, the street art covers derelict buildings in what seems like an effort to ‘improve’ the facade.
In some eyes it is attractive ... not mine.
Sally Rooney is not only a great writer but she is also a great human being who is prepared to face down the Israeli State and its minions in order to show solidarity with oppressed Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality.
More power to this principled woman. She stands on the right side of history.
The institution of the Catholic Church in Ireland is collapsing rapidly.
From 80% regular Mass attendance to 10% in 50 years.
More than two generations have walked away from the institution because of clerical sex abuse and cover-up scandals; treating women as less than second class, and excluding lay people from decision making.
The Killala diocesan assembly pointed the way forward: Let the laity lead the way.
Importing priests into the clerical patriarchal priesthood is not a solution.
As Bishop Paul Dempsey said in his talk to WAC (We Are Church) Ireland, we do not need just one national synodal assembly — we need an ongoing assembly.
And our bishops should be elected by the members of their diocese.
Our focus should be on Christ’s message in the gospels.
What affects all should be decided by all.
I‘m writing about the damage being done to the ozone layer and how, in less than 10 years, the Arctic and the Amazon rain forest and all its animals will become extinct.
We can’t undo the damage that’s already done but we can prevent it from getting worse by going green.
We need more trees to produce oxygen and any green living plants absorbs carbon dioxide.
The Amazon rainforest is being cut down at the rate of a football pitch every minute but now they're burning the rainforest as well which is causing even more pollution.
If you go to Beijing you’re basically breathing in smog and you wonder why people get cancer or other illnesses.
The only way of dealing with this problem is to go green and use less carbon dioxide when driving cars or burning fossil fuels, which contribute to the destruction of wildlife habitats.
Cars pollute the air with noxious emissions which are also harmful to human health.
If we don’t stop now we will suffer from hotter and stormier weather and there’s nothing that we can do about it.
I hope people will realise the damage to the ozone layer which is affecting climate change and our weather.
