Letters to the Editor: Students will benefit from third-party assessment in State exams 

A teacher welcomes the restoration of impartial third-party assessment, while other readers look at issues including war in Ukraine and Israel's presence in the West Bank

Billy Ryle writes: 'Teacher-based assessments of their own students would fundamentally damage the relationship between teacher and student,' and goes on to say 'curriculum development, subject syllabus revision, and multiple assessment methods are healthy reforms.'  Picture: iStock

As a young teacher, I soon came to realise how much my students depended on me for good quality instruction, direction, and advice. We were a team united in the common goal of exam success. I did everything in my power to make sure my students were exam-ready. I was an advocate for my students. They, in turn, gave of their best for exam success.

The happy years I coached our school’s basketball teams created a bond and a friendship which persists to this present day. In fact, the wonderful rapport I enjoyed with the young people was the reason I returned to UCC for postgraduate studies in career guidance and counselling.