Sir, – In your welcome Editorial on literacy (March 9th), you quite rightly point out the inconsistencies in the Government’s position, on the one hand expecting better outcomes while cutting back on manpower on the other.
But there is as much more basic, underlying reason why literacy levels are at, as you say, “crisis” point in Ireland. And it’s not the students who should be bearing responsibility for this failure, though they are the ones who must trundle this enfeebling problem with them through life.
The teacher training colleges have been advocating a policy of “eclecticism” for many years, an eclecticism which says, “Try a bit of this and a bit of that, and all will be well”.
Well sadly it won’t, and there is no clear guidance in current policy documents which will assuredly deliver mass literacy. They are another mish-mash of confused thinking, (designed by the “experts” to keep the “experts” happy?).
Until the country sorts out the priority it accords the English language, embarks on a rigorous synthetic phonics teaching programme and requires all trainee teachers to be well-versed in basic linguistic principles, we shall be still lamenting this shameful waste in 2027.
When the 1997 OECD report pointed out the unacceptably high levels of semi- and illiteracy in the English-speaking world (and not just in Ireland), all these things were flagged by people who pointed to a clear way forward.
Britain took note, though progress has been painfully slow, mainly because of the reluctance of the teachers’ unions and the teacher training establishments to be told anything. Leadership on this issue came from below.
And €17 million would be more than sufficient to ensure that no child leaves a mainstream primary school with deficient literacy skills.
A government that understands the nature of the problem would be giving better leadership.
As you say, radical measures are called for. – Yours, etc,