LETTER:PE teachers must be paid in full

From Mr Maurice Hill

Sir: Your report "Curriculum `driving out school sport' " (22 March) states that "the number of non-specialist PE teachers prepared to help with after-school sport continues to fall".

This is not surprising. For 16 years in grammar schools I spent every Saturday of the school year either refereeing football games or umpiring cricket matches, and coached teams one lunchtime and one evening every week. After 15 years without a penny payment or a word of thanks, I discovered that RE teachers were receiving extra pay for holding prayer meetings. I submitted a token claim for travelling expenses for that year, amounting to about £4. The next day, while I was sitting in the common room, the headmaster came in, threw a handful of small change over me, and walked out.

I was young and altruistic. I now suggest that any teacher who works overtime without extra pay is a fool.

Yours sincerely,

MAURICE HILL

Javea

Spain

23 March