Madam, - I write with reference to the sensationalist piece on school discipline "Out of Control", written by Kate Holmquist (March 18th). She alleges that threats, assaults and sexual harassment are endured by teachers in Irish schools every day. Such is the tone of her article that one would be led to assume that all schools are in a state of crisis and the majority of pupils are violent, abusive and bullying.
While it is regrettably true that such incidents occur, and that there is a proportion of pupils who engage in substance abuse and aggressive behaviour, it is still the case that these are in the minority. Over the past 20 years, as a teacher educator, I have been privileged to observe over 400 classrooms, containing in excess of 10,000 pupils, in a wide variety of all school types - fee-paying and disadvantaged, secondary, community and vocational, urban, suburban, small town and rural. The vast majority of the pupils in these classrooms were courteous and well-behaved. There was a small minority of classes which were difficult - even very difficult - and would have presented challenges to the most experienced of teachers, as well as to the student teachers who were working in them. These classes and pupils formed a small minority of the total and were in what has been called "crisis schools in crisis areas". These are the schools on which substantial resources and supports for teachers, pupils, parents and communities should be concentrated.
It does no service to the schools and teachers who are grappling with such difficult issues, and who deliver the democratic right of these pupils to an education, to sensationalise the matter and imply that all schools are in crisis.
One further inaccuracy contained in Ms Holmquist's article involves a reference to children with learning disabilities (though quite why these vulnerable children should be singled out in an article entitled "Out of Control" is not clear).
It is suggested that "dealing with learning disabilities is not included in the teaching diploma programmes". This assertion is untrue. Higher diploma in education programmes normally contain units on special educational needs. However, qualified teachers also need support from structured induction programmes and on-going professional development in this important and complex area. - Yours, etc,
SHEELAGH DRUDY, Professor of Education, Head, UCD School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Belfield, Dublin 4.