Madam, - We all know the great problems in Irish society - teenage boys and girls drinking too much and stating that they must have several drinks before they have courage to speak to members of the opposite sex; several people in senior posts who bully their employees; and young men who commit rape.
All of these problems are contributed to by lack of social development. We find people with top degrees and qualifications suffering from this lack, and many of them not lay people.
Our Minister for Education and Science should make social development an important part of education in schools. He should phase out all single-sex schools and arrange for the closing and amalgamation of all schools with fewer than 20 students. (A large number of students from very small primary schools leave post primary schools in one or two years because they lack ability to mix properly with the other students.)
The Minister should also give proper recognition to teachers for their "extra-curricular activities" and arrange finance for these activities, because they contribute so much to social development. - Yours, etc.,
LIAM Ó MAINNÍN,
(Retired Schools Inspector),
Grattan Court,
Galway.