John McGabhann from the Teachers Union of Ireland was invited here today to #Feilte as a guest. Once upon a time, he was a teacher of English and Gaeilge, in Tallaght Community School. Today he took a great interest in Fintan O’Toole’s speech, particularly in how he talked about efficiency in education. John raised interesting points about how he thinks conferences like this should be held at a local level around the country, and involve parents in them so they can see how their children are progressing with knowledge, drama, art, etc. He believes parents and communities should be able to see the importance of the school in the community, and just how valuable it is. He thinks that technological advances in education are important but can never substitute for direct human interaction, and should instead supplement the needs of children.
Interview by Seán and Eadaoin de Búrca