Sir, – I have just stepped away from primary school teaching after 40 years of service. When I started teaching on September 2nd, 1985, little did I know how much the job would change in the interim.
I have worked through two curriculums (1971 and 1999) and the newer Primary Language and Maths curriculums. I’ve avoided the department’s newest offering, to be launched in September 2025.
I’ve seen more change than most and not all of it for the best. I cannot see young teachers staying in this job for their lifetimes. The workload is unsustainable.
The paperwork (all online) is beyond a joke and the salary? – it really is nothing to write home about. Grand if you’re in my shoes, but not if you’ve a mortgage or rent and childcare costs.
RM Block
I have always loved my job; I loved preparing the lessons and teaching in the classroom; I just hated the unnecessary extras that have been added over the years. If the Government is serious about keeping teachers in the profession, it needs to take a serious look at how much it actually values those who devote their lives to education and the demands it places on them. – Yours, etc,
DEE DELANY,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
