Modern classrooms need a lesson in old-fashioned respect

YOUR correspondent Allan Charlesworth (Yorkshire Post, April 11) reflects upon the lack of respect for teachers among the general public.

When I entered the profession in 1960, I regarded myself as a schoolmaster. Extra-curricular responsibilities were seen as an integral part of the job and at my small school, over 10 members of staff organised and coached a variety of school teams at every age level. When I retired in the early 1990s only the head of PE ran a school team – if he was very lucky an enthusiastic parent supervised a second team for home matches. Since retirement, having experienced a range of responses which varied from a high of thinly-veiled indifference to a low of thinly-veiled hostility, I only state my former profession when directly asked.

If anyone asked me now whether they should become a teacher I would answer a resounding “Yes”. The satisfaction of the interaction with children as they learn is a wonderful experience.

However, I would also suggest that they obtain the necessary qualifications and then take the first available flight to Australia or New Zealand where they would be appreciated and valued.

From: David Collins, Lower Common Lane, Scissett, Huddersfield.

ONCE more we have another attack on our education system.

I agree that it is nowhere near perfect, lacks funding, sufficient teachers, and lacks pupils with the basic social skills for teachers to work with.

However the article based on the Campaign for Real Education (Yorkshire Post, April 5) does not help.

From the article and CfRE website it appears we are being strait-jacketed into a one stream educational requirement. If we have pupils who have maths, English, two sciences, a modern language, either history or geography, where does this leave other subjects? Arts, music, sport, religion, economics, yes and even politics.

From: Ruthven Urquhart, Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

OUR instant, disposable, image-obsessed, family-fragmented, throw-away lives seem to be accelerating too rapidly, and almost out of control.

Those of us who are becoming so increasingly concerned and appalled by such a speedy descent into this terrifying abyss, and daunting decline in moral standards, must become all the more determined to do our best to arrest this desperate state of affairs – but how? Politicians cannot, or will not, help – they only seem interested in themselves and the next election but certainly not the next generation.

Old-fashioned values of respect, self-discipline and consideration for others should be on our agendas, and transmitted according to those for whom we are responsible during the formation stages of our lives.

Surely the profound lessons for life should be first instilled at home?

Is it not grossly unfair for school teachers to be expected to start from scratch, which they are often compelled to do?