Letter: Fair reward for all good teachers

Sir: You make the assertion (Leading article, 6 August) that higher pay for teachers would result in more good teachers being recruited. This is only true up to a point.

Most teachers are not in it for the money; they are dedicated professionals, and those people whose interest is half-hearted are steered away from teaching by the poor pay.

The downside of higher pay for teachers ("Top pay plan for super teachers", 6 August) might be that those less-dedicated individuals, who had up until now been dissuaded by the low pay, find that they are interested in teaching simply because the remuneration is higher.

Obviously I am not against higher pay for teachers; it is well known that over the last 20 years teachers' pay has not increased as much as comparable jobs in industry. As a newly qualified teacher, my first year's pay is not going to be particularly impressive. I am most certainly not in it for the money.

IAIN HERRIES

Leeds