I have recently retired after spending thirty five years as a Secondary school teacher in Ireland all of it spent in Catholic schools.

I thank you for highlighting the possible dangers contained in the Teaching Council’s Code of Professional Conduct which I feel may not be fully appreciated by Boards of Management or school Principals or indeed by the teachers themselves.

Religion in Irish Secondary schools is generally taught by qualified Religion teachers.But where there is a shortfall of suitably qualified people, teachers of other subjects may be asked to fill in. This generally occurs in the Junior Cycle thus ensuring that there are sufficiently qualified teachers to teach the Senior Cycle programme.

Likewise in the Junior Cycle Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme a number, but not all teachers would have received in-service training. If and when Part 5 of the Code is implemented it will leave all teachers in a vulnerable position but in particular those teachers who have not been adequately trained to deal with the complex issues which may arise.

I feel it is incumbent upon Catholic Boards of Management and School Principals to ensure that all teachers employed by them reflect the Catholic values contained in their Mission Statements.This will require that some awkward questions be asked at initial interviews and that careful consideration is given to choosing the teachers best suited to teaching subjects like SPHE and Religion.

At the moment, in the case of those subjects in particular, many young, inexperienced and part-time teachers,who are desperate to hold onto a job may be press-ganged by Principals into taking on subjects they are clearly unsuited to teach.

I have some sympathy with Principals in this matter when they are faced with the difficult task of trying to fill a timetable but in the light of part 5 of the Code the inherent dangers of such a practice are plain to be seen.

Furthermore, Boards of Management should ensure that the two teacher and the two parent representatives on the Board are committed to their faith and are not selected solely because they have some area of expertise that would be of benefit to that Board.

This would make for a strong Board prepared to uphold the Catholic values of the school and fully supporting the Principal and staff as they strive on a daily basis to implement the Gospel values enshrined in the school’s Mission statement.