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The way England treats teachers and nurses like the scum of the earth will never not be a reoccurring moment of cultural shock.
In Ireland, whilst either may not be paid as well as they should. There is huge respect in society for teachers and nurses.
I think it might be linked to being an ex colony of Britain, a poorer nation historically which doesn't have anymore, a solid upperclass in the way Britain does.
In Northern Ireland especially maybe? Like in my girls grammar in Fermanagh. Most of the middle class girls. Their parents were first generation uni students, many people two to three generations back - ordinary farmers.
The history of oppression in Ireland. A culture, history, language suppressed by Britain. The discrimination towards Catholics in NI in particular. Education offered the best chance vs employment discrimination, poverty.
We see this once the Education Act in 1944 was enforced. A whole generation of those from working class Catholic backgrounds, becoming the actors and narrators of the North. Seamus Heaney, John Hume, Bernadette Devlin, Nell McCafferty.
I think personally underachieving is now worse in Protestant communities, because NI was created to secure prosperity for Protestants. Just by being a working class Protestant lad, you would easily get into the shipyard vs a Catholic one.
Now industry has died and from my personal experience, working class Protestant communities do not value education as much as Catholic communities. Because it was never needed so badly, as a route to freedom and income.
I think Ireland respects nurses so much vs England because as a culture, Irish people generally revere our elders. I'm really proud of that. It shaped me so much. We also value community more I think OR as a smaller country, community is easier to maintain.
Residents and their relatives when I worked in a care home in Surrey. Were so grateful for my level of care, respect and compassion.
One daughter told me, as her father was dying (I was going back home for a week & he would die by then. I had been helping care for him)...
That I had lit up every visit she made. My smile, my laugh, my warmth. She hugged and thanked me. I'm almost crying remembering!
Because I was living there too. With 15 older people, most with advanced dementia. In very high levels of distress. The energy is so sad & heavy overall.
And I really struggled with my mental health whilst living and working there. Coming out as bi to family rejection, Lyra murdered, diagnosed with anxiety, depression and ADHD.
