Armchair school critics miss the point

YOUR correspondent (Yorkshire Post, September 17) claims to “have a better understanding of why the country is in such a mess” having watched Educating Yorkshire. We are left to wonder what he means!

Surely what this compelling TV series shows is a headteacher refusing to accept low 
norms of behaviour or achievement, determined to give his young people a future and a hope?

We see Jonny Mitchell
leading from the front, 
inspiring, supporting and 
uniting his staff.

They have identified a 
clear set of values which 
everyone is expected to 
honour.

These are upheld with determination, energy, humour and tact.

No doubt this headteacher could easily fill his working day deskbound underneath the mulch of paperwork which is daily dumped on school leaders by people who wouldn’t have the first idea how to steer a community of energetic adolescents.

Instead he is willing to get personally involved with people at the sharp end to make those values stick.

Such hands-on headship is hugely demanding. I know – I did it for nearly 20 years!

In time it can turn a school around and offer tomorrow’s adults values and aspirations higher than those reflected by the “mess”.

To allow TV cameras to film 
this process of challenge and renewal, knowing that it will entail many battles, is an act of great courage.

The team at Thornhill Academy deserve our praise and encouragement, not cheap armchair criticism.

From: Brian H Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

I’M not sure whether Margaret and Dennis Johnson blame teachers or politicians for the country being “in such a mess” (Yorkshire Post, September 17). Do they object to the ethos of the Dewsbury school which featured in Channel 4’s documentary Educating Yorkshire or is it the fault of successive governments who have created a culture where parents and teachers are powerless?

I have to be careful here but my understanding is that Dewsbury comprises some of the most socially deprived districts in the country: the town gained national notoriety when a “mother” feigned the abduction of her child in order to cash in on the outcome.

Some of the academics who taught at the school I attended would not have lasted a week in the establishment so boldly managed by head teacher Mr Mitchell and his staff.

Mr Mitchell himself is reported to be a highly qualified academic but he is gifted with the common touch.

In the absence of corporal punishment, which would now be unthinkable, especially as the pupils who were seen to behave appallingly were girls, his school sought to impose traditional standards such as smartness and decency.

The male staff were not tieless and sporting jeans and trainers, as is often the case nowadays. Nor were the pupils allowed to dress as they liked, uniform being compulsory.

My guess is that there is a lot of good stuff going on at the school. But showing that wouldn’t make much of a documentary, would it?

Not so welcome airport charge

From: Jane Dally, Bark Lane, Addingham.

THE sign read “Welcome” 
as we turned off public highway A658 onto private airport land heading for the departure terminal.

My son had kindly offered to drop me off as I was catching a flight from Leeds-Bradford Airport. Shortly after turn off, a sign passed us with the words “drop-off & pick-up”, “minimum charges apply” and “ticketless system” being some I can 
recall.

“Surely they’re not going to charge us for simply dropping me off?” I asked aghast.

“Let them try,” my son retorted. “I wouldn’t pay on principle!”

With stress levels rising, we were shunted through an automatic barrier into the “drop-off & pick-up” zone.

There was no time for goodbyes as I hastily departed the vehicle nor for principle either as I watched my son paying the £2 exit charge to escape the place.

I, meanwhile, had no mean distance to trek up to the terminal.

With suitcase in tow, I can recall thinking, “thank goodness it’s not raining” and “all this for £2!” Yes, very welcoming, Yorkshire’s airport.

Sunday’s no longer sacred

From: Keith Sturdy, Grimbald Road, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

What a topsy-turvy world we live in. As most people now know the large supermarkets are only allowed to open for six hours on a Sunday.

I would also think that the majority of people would agree with this, including the unfortunate staff who have work on these days.

Trust the big supermarkets to find a way round this restriction. At 8pm last Sunday, I was at home having a quiet evening. At this time I heard a large van belonging to one to the big four supermarkets (I won’t name which one).

The driver pulled up opposite in our normally quiet street.

He left the engine running and the radio on full blast with the cab window open, and then commenced to bang the vehicle’s doors and rattled the crates and vehicle’s contents as he made his delivery.

What on earth has happened to our Sunday, the day we used to refer to as the day of rest?