Sir, - As one who is now out of teaching, I was interested in your leading article (March 30th) regarding the teachers' package.
You seem to think that the teachers had difficulty in reading the document on which they voted. Do you believe this? There is no evidence to suggest that teachers who are union activists are more intelligent than their colleagues who are not.
Teachers rejected the agreement because it was a bad deal. Some teachers got up to four different bites at the cash, others got little or nothing. The job of negotiators in such a situation is to satisfy a majority, not just to look after "the good ol bhoys".
Mr Cullen (March 30th) speaks of "the ambitious teacher". To Mr Cullen, "the ambitious teacher" is one who is hell bent on escaping from the classroom and pupils. I do not blame anyone for harbouring such ambitions - teaching has become a very tough job. Mr Cullen should try to find out why so many "ambitious teachers" accept that they cannot realise their ambitions within the classroom.
But the teachers willing to try to realise their ambitions within the classroom could see that this package was no good.
To illustrate this point, let me ask Mr Cullen if ambitious journalists wish to realise their ambitions by getting away from writing and the world of news? - Yours, etc.,
Firgrove Gardens,
Bishopstown,
Cork.