Sir, - The banner headline in your edition of January 30th about the ASTI dispute should have read "Amazing 38 per cent support teachers' 30 per cent pay claim despite obfuscation by press over the reality of this dispute". Your paper has failed to spell out the reasoning behind the figure of 30 per cent. None of my letters has been considered relevant.
Ask people about any group's right to claim wage increases of any sort and you will get more than 53 per cent saying it is not justified. Despite a vicious press, this report has shown the teachers to have amazing sympathy among the general public. Try asking relevant questions about the 31 per cent increase the Senate have just given themselves!
Yes, you guessed, I am a teacher but not party to this dispute. I know the public knows how difficult the job has become. The press does not like this outcome, so they use statistics as they will.
I have in the past used The Irish Times as an example of a newspaper interested in "truth in the news" and compared it to the tabloids. More recently, it has contained both types of journalism. Regretfully it has deteriorated further and is now simply another example of exploitative tabloid journalism. - Yours, etc.,
John J. Clarkin, Ballinablake, Curracloe, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.