No wonder the teachers have reached boiling point

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Holgate, York.

THERE have been thousands of public sector workers on strike and demonstrating against Government policies on pension reforms, changes and alterations.

I have a lot of sympathy for the teachers, but things have to change. There needs to be fairness all round, and we simply do not have the money nor the wherewithal to carry on with things as they are.

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I have a feeling that many of the teachers are also very annoyed and upset by more than just the big changes to their pension plans.

Teachers have been messed about, pushed around, not consulted and ignored by UK governments for decades now. The curriculum is amended almost monthly, the “tick box” scenario is horrendous, the petty rules, CRB checks, health and safety legislation, aggressive parental rights and ever increasing tests and assessments must be so stressful – no wonder they are at boiling point!

From: John Senior, Birchfield Grove, Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield.

AS an ex-member of the AMA and AMMA (both forerunners of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers) at a time when teachers’ salaries were far less rewarding than today and when non-teaching assistants were as rare as hens’ teeth, I found Mary Bousted’s article (Yorkshire Post, June 29) most interesting.

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I was, however, most disturbed to learn from a head teacher yesterday evening that staff were not informing her as to whether they would be withdrawing their labour on June 30. I find this unprofessional and, if I had been involved in this situation, I would have immediately cancelled my membership.

If legally people can go on strike without informing their employer that they intend to absent themselves from work then I think the law should be changed.

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

I HAVE just received a clue as to why children are leaving school without a firm grasp of the three “Rs”.

The National Union of Teachers says a test to check if prospective teachers have a grasp of basic numeracy and literacy is superfluous, not only do they lack a grip on reality – they use the wrong word to express their disdain.

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We have (allegedly) an English teacher in Hull whose aim is to banish local dialect from the British Isles, an oaf who puts a whole new slant on the word/title pendant.

The clues keep coming, can we get an education minister to solve them?

From: H Marjorie Gill, Clarence Drive, Menston, Ilkley.

LISTENING to trade union leaders trying to justify their members going on strike, one wonders what planet they are inhabiting.

The teachers and other public sector workers should go down on their knees and say “Thank you” for being in work and taking a wage packet home.

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As for retiring later,, what nonsense. Those of us who are in our 80s and enjoying reasonably good health are able to proceed with our lives, albeit at a slower pace, providing we just keep on going.

I am in the process of harvesting home grown fruit and vegetables and freezing the same. I bake and sew and also play golf and bridge several times a week and my age is 87 years.

From: Jack Kinsman, Stainton Drive, Grimsby.

THE answer to the public sector pensions problem is easy. Put all civil servants, judges on the same pensions that the servicemen and women get – and then tax them at the same rate that the Armed Forces have to put up with.

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