Allow me to address our nation's teachers. Like in anything else, when we are good, we are very good and when we are bad, we are dangerous. Contrary to what the JTA would have this nation believe, we have countless teachers in the sector; frankly, I believe the teaching profession boasts the largest number of workers next to civil servants on the Government's payroll and they need to remember that.

While there are a few dedicated teachers in the system, there are a great number of rotten ones who need to be removed; they demoralise children, they destroy self-esteem, they disturb well-planned career paths and the list of devastation continues. Many adults who are now studying can testify to this delay by laying it at the feet of the caustic tongue or a discouraging attitude of a teacher, especially if the parents are weak.

I remember in an address to senior members of an examination body, one member agreed with a statement made, stating that as it relates to the matter cited, a similar thing had happened to one of her children when a teacher promptly said that he was not going to waste his time with these children who are going to one day drive past him in their 'cris' cars ... . I believe no consideration should be given to any further benefit to our teachers until the teaching system has improved.

They get leave, long holidays and a salary equal to many others in the private and public sectors. I do not know of any other sectors as unreasonable as our teachers and I do believe they should be told so.

- J.M. Fletcher, Irish Town