Sir, - Teacher Michael McCarthy disparages the inclusion of Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves as a text for this year's English Leaving Certificate exam (June 11th). The book was actually written by Michael Blake, and adapted by him as a screenplay for a film directed by Kevin Costner.
In contrast to his view, I applaud the Department of Education's attempts to make the paper more interesting and relevant to students. Including well-written contemporary material is one way to do this, and will surely improve motivation.
Having been stuck with Dickens's execrable Hard Times for my own Leaving Cert in 1987, I can assure Mr McCarthy that age is no guarantee of literary value. - Yours, etc.,
Eddy Robinson, Ennis Road, Limerick.