Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

With no disrespect to Mr. Mulconry, all I heard from him was about teachers who are doing their job. I expect nothing less from my children's teachers than that they would have a passion to improve the writing and reading of their pupils. Is that not what they are taught to do? Is that not the vocation they chose? Of course, good teachers exist and I acknowledge their passion for the job, but when we talk about the failings of some teachers, some sectors do not want us to look at that but to focus on what is working. That is the problem. That is the narrative. It is the gaslighting of the issue. It is a case of putting the best foot forward.

Mr. Mulconry spoke about teachers being at the front line of poverty and said that they see the poverty. I am talking about the people who are "living" the poverty and not seeing it. Mr. Mulconry can go to a school and talk to passionate teachers but until he goes to a school and sits with the students and talks to them about their experience or goes into the homes of the people I am talking about and hears their experience, I do not want to hear only about the teachers' experience because they are not the only ones in the school. Everybody is sharing the space.

There are amazing teachers. I have two girls who have gone through the school system and they have had amazing teachers and school principals. Every time we talk about what is wrong, we cannot say, "Well, look at what is right; there are so many good things about school". Boards of management and the people who have a say should take on board what I am saying and say that the culture that exists in some schools needs to apply across the board. They need to acknowledge the stories that I have told instead of trying to bring in the positive points to drown them out.