Gerard O'Kane to retire from teaching after 48 years - and is nominated for top award

An Inishowen principal set to retire after 48 years of service - including 42 years at the helm of a local primary school - has been nominated in a national Teacher of the Year competition.

Gerard O’Kane from Craigtown National School was nominated for the award by numerous parents whose children attend or previously attended the school.

Mr O’Kane started his teaching career in 1976, working at another school for six years before moving to Craigtown National School where he stayed for 42 years. Mr O’Kane said he is over the moon to be nominated.

“I can still remember my very first day as a teacher, 48 years ago,” he said. “Teaching is a lot different nowadays, then it was ‘chalk and talk’ and a focus on reading, writing and arithmetic, and nowadays it is ‘interactive boards and talk’ and a much broader curriculum.

“The main objective as a teacher is to keep the children interested and engaged. You can have many different ability levels all in one class, and you need to encompass all of those needs in your lesson.

“When I was at school, if you didn’t pass your Leaving Cert, it was the end of the line. It’s different now and young people have many different routes. Young people might not know what they want to do as a career but we’re always interested in how they’re getting on, and we’re always here to offer support.

“Craigtown National School has grown from 57 children when I started to the 173 pupils it has today, and that is a testament to the staff and the care that they take with every child. No matter how education changes, children’s welfare comes first and as a team, we do our best for the children. It’s a big family really. I’ve been lucky to have always worked with a great team. And every school has its own dedicated staff team, not just Craigtown National School.

“After 48 years of teaching, retiring seems a strange concept but I’ll still be available for substitute work for a couple of days, I’ll remain active in the community. I’ve also been given a polytunnel, so I’ll be having a go at growing some vegetables in that too! I’m very proud, over the moon, that people have taken the time to nominate me.”

Katie Crossan, whose daughter Letitia, 21, attended Craigtown National School said that Mr O’Kane’s dedication is second to none.

“Master O’Kane, or Sir as we all call him, is such a special principal and is always ahead of the game,” she said. “He is at school an hour before it starts, is there late in the evening facilitating activities for the children, and is also a referee in his own time.

“Even though Master O’Kane is no-nonsense, he’s also very caring. After they’ve left Craigtown National School, the students still go back to visit Master O’Kane and he still cares about how they’re doing. Five years after Letitia left Craigtown, we had an email from him seeing how she got on with her exams. How many teachers would do that? When Letitia said she was interested in PE teaching, he told her to come back and that he’d help her with a placement, which he has.

“His students always come first, he listens to them and encourages them to do their best. If you don’t listen attentively to Sir though, he’ll have you going around the pitch doing laps! As a person, Master O’Kane is very bubbly. If you join the school as a new student, he’ll always have a wee story about what your aunty or uncle did when they were at school.

“Master O’Kane will be badly missed when he retires, it will be a very sad day. As parents, we thoroughly believe Master O’Kane deserves this award.”

Joanne McKinney attended Craigtown National School, as did her three children, and said: “The kids all love Gerard, from the youngest children up to the oldest, and appreciate what he does for them and his approach. He has a unique style of teaching, his classes are both educational and fun. One former student said recently that she will always remember the words to William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Daffodils’ because he taught them the poem using the Mexican wave. Even though Gerard is a soccer referee, he encourages the children to get involved in all outdoor sports and activities.

“After the kids have left Craigtown, at one of the first opportunities they get, they will pop in and be welcomed back by Gerard. That level of connection is unheard of in most schools. My three children were all taught by Gerard, as was I, and I think many people want their children to experience the type of education that they did at Craigtown.”

Another parent with children at Craigtown National School who nominated Mr O’Kane said: “He really cares about the students and making sure they are settled and happy and content in school. My own children really enjoy being at the school. He truly does not get enough recognition for all that he does.”

It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in Ireland. The Teacher of the Year competition runs until August 31 and the winning teacher will be announced in September 2024.

The teacher who receives the most votes will be crowned as Teacher of the Year in the national competition. The Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a €500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Carndonagh Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a €250 local gift card.

Other Inishowen schools and pre-schools with teachers nominated in the Teacher of the Year competition include Carndonagh Community School, St. Patrick’s Girls’ National School, St. Patrick’s Boys’ National School, Little Acorns Montessori Playschool, Donagh National School, St. Brigid’s and Bright Beginnings Preschool.

Deirdre Bradley, chairperson of the Carndonagh Traders’ Association, said: “It is amazing to see the nominations coming in from schools across Inishowen, and the care and appreciation that parents and children have for the teachers in Carndonagh and beyond. With 48 years as a teacher in our area, Mr O’Kane is loved within our community and it is fantastic to see so many people taking the time to vote for him. Please keep on voting for your Teacher of the Year.”

Miconex’s local gift cards can be spent with local businesses, encouraging a ‘shop local’ ethos and locking spend into local economies.

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “The Teacher of the Year competition is designed to shine a light on the people and the schools who are positively impacting children’s lives, like Mr O’Kane. It takes just two minutes to nominate your Teacher of the Year, and it’s free.”

Nominate a teacher in the Teacher of the Year competition online here.