The great debate: how to re-educate society about the value of teaching.

(From Irish Independent)

THE teaching profession in Ireland is at a crossroads. The benchmarkingdispute and resulting debate on the airways and in print has placed the teachingprofession in a difficult position.

Teachers, and indeed most traditional authority figures and institutions, no longer enjoyunquestioning esteem and support.

Teachers are experiencing a type of existential angst. What is teaching? What is the nature of teaching as a profession? How does it compare with the medical or legal profession? These were given as comparable professions when teachers were seeking a pay rise.

Yet one would be hard-put to find an example of these professions allying themselves with teaching when discussing …