Sir, – Joe Humphreys reports that almost 100 jobs in the education sector are being advertised under the JobBridge internship scheme, including five primary teachers and 16 special needs assistants (“Teachers and special needs assistants recruited via JobBridge, despite warnings”, August 3rd).
The use of internships by State-funded primary schools is a running sore and an ongoing scandal in our primary schools.
It seems children with special needs can be looked after by interns with “no experience” and with an educational qualification which can vary from Junior Certificate level to a Fetac qualification.
While these interns may be very caring young people, they should not be allowed to care for children with special needs without the necessary professional qualification and experience, as it is sending a message to children with special needs that they are not worthy enough to receive the professional educational care that they need for their proper human development.
Incredibly, Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan says that her department could not tell schools that they should not attempt to hire in this way.
If this is the case, why do we need a Minister or indeed a Department of Education and Science, as they are in effect merely bystanders in the education of the children of the nation? – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN BUTLER,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.