YP Letters: The rise of red tape in our classrooms

JAYNE Dowle’s article on the ‘teaching crisis’, reminding us of the parlous state of the British education system (The Yorkshire Post, October 13), was a timely dose of reality after all the recent speculative articles and arrogant ‘demands’ regarding the outcome of negotiations with the EU.

Since officially post-referendum negotiations have not yet commenced, there is nothing of importance that can be said publicly, though I admit it would be nice to have had the re-assurance of at least a little bit of ‘post-vote’ good news.

Regarding education, our UK education system has always been fully controlled by the UK Government and they are the cause of the present emphasis on assessment that appears to have replaced teaching as the main driving force in schools.

This follows from the introduction of the National Curriculum in the late 1980s, when our bureaucrats suddenly realised it was now possible to assess not just pupils, but also teachers and schools.

The effect of this change in emphasis has been an inevitable rise in the proportion of the education budget spent on assessment, accompanied 
by a consequent fall in the resources allocated to classroom 
teaching. The teachers I talk 
to certainly support Ms Dowle’s arguments.

In fact, although I believe every recent Education Secretary has stated that their aim is to reduce red tape, the workload of teachers has increased annually. It may also be significant that while the domination of assessment in education has grown, the UK’s manufacturing base has declined dramatically, with a possible cause being that the over-rigid control of modern education suppressing entrepreneurial instincts by killing interest, variety and initiative in the classroom.

I do not believe the introduction of an elitist type of ‘grammar’ school is the correct remedy; instead I believe we should trust our teachers, free them from the present stifling bureaucracy and encourage them to get on with the job of teaching.

Vital role of libraries

From: Martin Vaughan, Stannington Road, Sheffield.

IT is important to remember that provision of a comprehensive and efficient library is among Sheffield Council’s statutory duties, something which volunteer-run book swaps with declining visitor numbers are clearly not fulfilling (John Bird, The Yorkshire Post, October 17).

If Sheffield Council actually provided a comprehensive and efficient library service, it would contribute to the reduction of people falling into vulnerability in the first place, therefore reducing the strain on the council’s social services and other budgets.

To decline to provide a staffed library service only puts more pressure on already overstretched social services. Restaffing Sheffield libraries makes economic sense as well as common sense.

Great divide with America

From: R Spreadbury, Liversedge.

I THINK the left wing press and a large proportion of MPs do not understand Americans.

While they are preaching self-righteous indignation from their soap boxes over Donald Trump and his supporters, with minimal criticism for the hypocritical Clinton dynasty, they should perhaps consider the following:

We will never appreciate their passionate belief and defence of the freedom of the individual, as enshrined in the Second Amendment.

We don’t understand their patriotism.

We don’t understand that the USA is in fact 50 different countries with their own distinct cultures and ways.

We don’t understand their insular self-interest or rapacious capitalism.

They are, in fact, as alien to us as Russia. And as for our “special relationship”, I have no idea what this can be. Perhaps we all should just mind our own business.

An ignoble spectacle

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham.

I WAS much saddened to witness TV evidence of Rod Stewart, when he was about to receive his much deserved knighthood from Prince William, chewing gum in a most consipcious manner. Furthermore, I also observed Rod’s young son adopting the same foul practice.

Surely, on such an auspicious occasion, they could have refrained from displaying this nauseating spectacle? Perhaps they have learned the horrible habit from various football managers, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce?

Can you trust the forecast?

From: Coun Tim Mickleburgh (Lab), Grimsby.

I TEND to rely on Paul Hudson (when he bothers to turn up!) and his Look North slot for my weather forecasts, along with looking up BBC Weather Grimsby online.

But I’ve been known to put up an umbrella 30 minutes after an evening forecast which made no mention of the possibility of rain.

Now I realise that meteorology can be a very inexact science, depending on likelihoods and probabilities. Even so, I would love to see some figures as to how often our professional forecasters get it right.