I read with interest Maria Caruana’s letter (Carnival holidays, TMID 24 February)

It always intrigues me that people point at the holidays teachers have and the hours they work. Granted that they look short on paper, but in reality any person worth their salt should realise that a teacher’s job, if done well – and let us say a large percentage do so – extends well beyond school hours, in keeping abreast of the changes, preparing, correcting and yes even worrying about other people’s children.

If Ms Caruana had done some research she would find that teaching is one of the top 10 most stressful jobs. Any parent knows how demanding children are... and you have the right to discipline them.

Teachers face classes of minimally 25 students of all sorts and if they need to discipline they have to exercise caution, as they could be easily charged with bullying. Teachers often face a lack of support from the families of their students and have little power to resort to, as anything can be interpreted as abuse, even raising their voice when all else has failed. Psychological burn out is not uncommon and it sometimes doesn’t take long... in the UK the average is two years. In Malta we have never had research into this I believe.

And before anybody points fingers at high illiteracy rates... I remind them of the age old saying... you can take a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. Ever tried it?

If in the end this does not satisfy I challenge all those who criticise to take up teaching themselves. Then they might see what it means to teach children and how stressful and unrewarding it can be at times.

I spent 10 years doing it.

Catherine Zammit

Hamrun