Letters: We need to trust our teachers

These letters appear in the 2 May edition of The Independent

I have spent the last 45 years in education. I have been a teacher, senior school leader, advisory headteacher, local authority adviser, governor and chair of governors, lead Ofsted inspector and adviser on teaching and learning.

I am not at all surprised by your report of a serious crisis in teaching (Letter from the Editor, 25 April). We treat our teachers abominably by infantilising them, patronising them with endless blame and refusing to allow them a decent life outside the classroom.

Finland was a barely average nation in terms of education outcomes 20 years ago. Now Finland is one of the world’s top performers. Why?

Finland holds teachers in the highest esteem. They are very highly paid. They have a teaching commitment that is half that of their English peers. They are trusted to manage their non-contact time as they see fit. Finland eschews teacher monitoring or any student testing.

It is not rocket science. If we wish to excel in education, then let the new government double teachers’ pay, halve their teaching timetable, scrap Ofsted and eschew its bullying tactics, support teachers with outstanding initial training and continuing professional development and hold parents responsible for their children’s behaviour.

We need to trust our teachers.

Dr Faysal Mikdadi
Dorchester, Dorset

You are right when you say that the new Secretary of State for Education needs to address the “epidemic of quitting teachers” as a priority.

There is no one cause for the numbers leaving the profession but, having retired two years early at 58 after spending some 30 years teaching, it seems to me that there are several key reasons: constant change imposed from above, high-stakes testing which undoubtedly leads to “teaching to the test”, an over-reliance on (often questionable) data and a level of accountability, or culpability, which leads to very high stress.

Despite the rhetoric of successive ministers, teachers are invariably given the impression they are not producing results which are good enough. A ubiquitous culture of “can do better” means that, no matter how many hours teachers put in each week, the impression is given that just a little bit more effort on their part would improve things.

I am heartened by the fact that 1,200 young teachers signed a letter to say “ enough is enough”. They need thousands more colleagues, including headteachers, to do the same. I worry that the culture of fear instilled by Ofsted and the pressure senior staff feel from all sides may dissuade many from admitting publicly what they would often say in private.

Brian D Flynn
Leeds

Hung Parliament puts union in peril

Ed Miliband’s refusal to do any sort of deal with the SNP, and their own insistence that they would never have anything to do with the Tories, does have important constitutional implications for democracy in the United Kingdom.

Should the SNP win all the seats in Scotland, which some polls have suggested, and are not invited to join in government, it would mean that that no MPs for Scottish seats were on the government benches in the House of Commons.

I do not know whether this would be the first time since the Act of Union, but it would certainly alienate further those Scots who think that the UK Government is biased against them in favour of England.

John Orton
Bristol

It is understandable that neither Mr Cameron nor Mr Miliband will give a straight answer to the question about coalitions, should the election result in a hung parliament. Neither of the main two parties dares to identify with any of the smaller ones.

What would happen if both Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband were to state, simultaneously, that, in the interests of the country, in the event of a hung result, each will work sensibly with the other? One result would be, at a stroke, to eliminate the threat of small-party power; another might be relief to us all.

Dennis Sherwood
Exton, Rutland

The Lib Dems continue to get a lot of unfair press comment. They achieved a great deal in moderating the Coalition Government.

The main decisions for this election are to continue to sort out the deficit, and to make our society less unequal. The deficit is vital because as a country we cannot continue to spend more than we collect in taxes; that way lies catastrophe. But it is equally vital that we address the gross inequality in our society.

It remains grossly unfair that the Tories are again proposing that the rich and the bankers, who caused the crisis, are to be rewarded while those on average incomes are suffering from austerity. Inequality in Britain is gross and research shows that it makes almost all health and social problems worse, for the rich as well as for the poor.

The Lib Dems understand this. They should be supported to achieve political balance.

Tony Hamilton
Broadstone, Dorset

Rebranded universities

It is not only students who dislike university rebranding exercises (“Never mind the fees, it’s the redesigned logos that we can’t stand, say students”, 1 May). Academics derided my institution’s logo and name change from “The University of Newcastle upon Tyne” to “Newcastle University”.

This was not merely a concern about expense. By ditching “Tyne” we loosened our co-ordinates as an institution proud of its heritage as a great civic university organically linked to the local community.

Such moves are invariably justified as aiding brand recognition in national and international markets. However academia is not about institutions, departments or individuals vying with each other; it is only ideas that compete. We forget that at our peril.

Dr Nick Megoran
Reader in Political Geography
Newcastle University

While reading The Independent as I drink my morning coffee and munch a delicious LU petit beurre biscuit, I notice that the new Loughborough University logo uses the same letters as the logo of the French biscuit manufacturer LU.

Does this mean that soon I will be able to purchase these delicious biscuits in the UK? A pleasant thought!

I have a spare box of these biscuits. Should I offer them to the university’s administrators to have with their mid-morning coffee?

Ann Coles
Fareham, Hampshire

Reading your article on the rejection by students of some university logo makeovers, I do hope that Loughborough paid no more than the 50p that their new logo so strongly resembles.

Brian G Mitchell
Cambridge

I don’t think it is unfair to say that any university that needs “a wider reputation and profile strategy” is probably heading in the wrong direction.

Colin Standfield
London W7

Clergy appeal to earthly justice

Times have changed. Your headline stating that the clergy of the Church of England have no boss but God (1 May) is out of date. Clergy terms of service have been drastically modified since the Rev Mark Sharpe started his legal action against his bishop.

Since 2011, the vast majority of priests (and bishops) in the Church of England have been appointed under legislation called called “Common Tenure”. It applies to all new appointments, and may by mutual agreement be applied to appointments made before 2011. Among other things, it gives the clergy full rights to appeal to an employment tribunal if they feel that they have been unfairly treated.

John Williams
West Wittering, West Sussex

Absent leader wins the ‘debate’

So the leaders’ “debate” between the two biggest parties and the Lib Dems (probably now the fourth party in England) has taken place. They were wretched, pathetic, execrable.

Congratulations to David Cameron for excluding the man he feared so greatly. It will have helped many to reach a decision. Not including Nigel must have made up countless minds. Will this have added millions of voters to the Ukip total or just hundreds of thousands?

Les Arnott
Sheffield

Cameron’s clever ‘no tax rise’ ruse

David Cameron’s “five-year-no-tax-rise” deal is not an unsophisticated mistake; it is a baited vote-catcher.

There are thousands of Labour voters who have no inclination to get wised up at election times. Then that tax deal. “Wow! Can’t be bad.”.

The Cameroons will be giggling with delight at the smart alecs with their clever, clever critiques of Cameron’s supposed naivety.

Kenneth J Moss
Norwich