Saddened over ASTI controversy

Sir — As a former ASTI branch secretary, I initiated discussion at branch meetings of many educational issues. A topic of interest at the time was an earlier 1970s variant of the current proposals for the Junior Certificate.

I understand the problem of teachers giving a national assessment to students in their own community. I am surprised that a compromise model of teacher assessment checked by an external moderator does not seem to have been considered. I found the ASTI helpful and supportive to me as a young teacher. I organised a visit by the general secretary to our branch meeting, which teachers found very reassuring.

However, now retired, I feel saddened to see the ASTI becoming mired in controversy over a quite small step in progressive education. I learned early on that the person who could give the most rounded and accurate assessment of students was their teacher, who was with them every day. It is a pity that we cannot find a way to tap into this very rich resource of teacher knowledge and assessment.

By the way, the only reason that teacher assessment would need external moderation is that teachers would be likely to be too generous in their assessment of their students. What Colm O’Rourke (Sunday Independent, September 25) says about the ASTI is worrying, but I’m sure he knows better than I that vision is part of our DNA. Tony Donoghue Rathfarnham Dublin 14