Saturday's Letters: Views on education by Cameron were 'abject drivel'

As a teacher and school governor, I can assure him that a good honours degree is not required in bringing children to Level 4 at Key Stage 2; personal qualities such as enthusiasm and rapport are far more significant.

He states that background is not what matters in educational success. As an intelligent man he must realise this is clearly untrue. What

about the importance of marriage and the "broken society?

A previous Prime Minister became known as Tony Bliar; the next one will be David Chameleon (or even Comedian).

How sad that, at a time of economic and social crisis, senior politicians of both major parties are transparently disingenuous.

From: RGN Webb, Watty Fields Close, Illingworth, Halifax.

From: Mrs June Wolfe, Sutherland Road, Lightcliffe, Halifax.

I HAVE nothing to do with the teaching profession, but I think I would agree with MP Laycock (Yorkshire Post, January 22) who says that qualified teachers do not necessarily make the best teachers.

When I was young I can remember the truly awful noise that emanated from the piano of a highly qualified music teacher. Thump, thump,

thump!

She knew all the notes but had no music whatsoever inside her and consequently was a very poor teacher.

From: David W Wright, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.

RACHEL Maister (Yorkshire Post, January 18) continued with her relentless crusade against selective education and Ripon Grammar School in particular, but she fails to offer any credible alternative to the present failed system which can only be labelled as bog-standard, comprehensive egalitarian schooling which has failed both past and future generations of children upon whom this country depends for its future prosperity.

We need a system which provides a range of schools to include selection and choice for parents which raises standards and competition, and not a one-size-fits-all dumbed down mediocre system. Like all socialist ideals in theory they sound good, but in practice they fail the public and ultimately the country.

Traffic delay leaves driver puzzled

From: Larner Caleb, Allerton Grange Way, Leeds.

I WOULD like to invite any member of Leeds City Council's Highways Department to either shoulder accountability or, at the very least, explain the situation on the outer Ring Road between Moortown roundabout and Sainsbury's roundabout at Alwoodley during Wednesday morning's rush hour.

I use the words "rush hour" in the loosest possible way, as a 60-feet line of cones straddled the right hand lane, followed further down by another 60 feet of cones in the left hand lane.

This inevitably created a single-lane chicane which effectively left traffic standing on three quarters of a mile of tarmac for a good 30 minutes, for no good reason.

No dayglow-jacketed blokes in sight. Not one bacon and sausage butty on show. Not even a grimy white van to house them all in. Nothing.

So please tell us. Why?

It is a straight question. An equally unswerving answer would be gratefully appreciated, not just by me but many of the late commuters on that day.

Memories of Firbeck Hall

From: G Eric Matthews, Laurel Croft, Main Street, Embsay, Skipton.

AS a 10-year-old boy in 1935, and now an octogenarian who lived one mile away from Firbeck village, the feature by Rachel Clegg (Yorkshire Post, January 22) stirred some memories of many happy times walking and cycle riding through the village to Roche Abbey, passing the golf

course, hall and aerodrome with my parents, sister and friends.

Many tales from ladies and gents who worked in the hall and were

caddies for the golfers verifies your feature.

I remember as lads we would find golf balls in the grass at the side of the road down to the hall, a private road in those days, until the junction to Firbeck village with the pub on the corner.

When the Second World War started, the airfield was taken over by the RAF and the quiet village changed with many airmen and Lysander planes etc. It became an active area for some years and if I remember, the hall was taken over also.

I joined the Army in 1944, on demob I was married and left that area, but my wife and I regularly visited my parents and friends in that area.

Thank you so much for your feature and bringing back happy memories for me.

Judiciary let country down

From: BJ Cussons, Curly Hill, Ilkley.

THE judgment on the Iraqi immigrant who stabbed two doctors to death is unbelievable (Yorkshire Post, January 25).

For once the Home Office made a sensible recommendation to deport him on his release, and this has been overturned.

Too often our legislators, and too frequently our judiciary, are

letting the people of this country down.

They distort the intent of law and also the English language. A life sentence cannot permit of freedom "next year" and should not be used for qualified context.

Additionally, the prime concern here is for the safety consequences to Britain, now threatened by those who misinterpret the teachings of Islam. But also the horrendous misuse of public money in these long drawn-out farcical trials must be considered. The cost of this judgment is unacceptable in view of its skimpy foundations.

Recalling the many kindnesses of Joe Haigh

From: Peter Scott, Hunger Hill, Middleton, Ilkley.

I READ the obituary of newspaper vendor Joe Haigh (Yorkshire Post, January 23) with sadness and I should like to add some of my memories of the person who affected so many people's lives with his kindness, friendliness and humour.

As a child growing up on the large Middleton Housing Estate in Leeds before the Second World War, I looked forward to Joe's visits to Throstle Hill where I was born and reared.

He would always have a friendly cheerful word with the playing children who all respectfully called him "Joe". As he came down the street, he would be shouting "Yor Po" which in later years a much wider audience would hear as he stood carrying out his trade in Dortmund Square in Leeds city centre.

As a child, I liked him to come to the house, which he did when he collected the weekly payment, because he and my mother had a good laugh possibly at Joe's harmless innuendo.

My mother, like many others on the estate, had great respect for him because he was naturally spontaneous and generous in his compassion and empathy when these admirable personal qualities were needed.

He did not engage in gossip and never discussed a family's problems with others. He was discreet and had integrity.

In 1934, when my four-year-old brother died of diphtheria, he gave much appreciated comfort to my inconsolable parents.

His thoughtfulness was again experienced on Christmas Eve 1952 when,

with my father dying in hospital, he appeared at the kitchen door with a prepared chicken, which he handed to my mother without speaking a word before he quickly disappeared on his bicycle. Joe was a social worker long before the profession had been formalised. He made his living honestly and through hard work and he gave back so much more to the community of Middleton.

From 1949-1952 when I left school, he gave me a job as an evening newspaper boy. I was to experience his kindness and generosity outside of work, as did the others who delivered newspapers for him, when with his devoted wife, Josie, he took me to wrestling matches at various venues around Leeds.

When I read of him being honoured by the Queen with the MBE a few years ago, I could not help thinking that this award was absolutely appropriate.

Joe lived a long live which he unselfishly used to enrich the lives of others and I for one feel grateful for having known him.

Discipline for the young

From: Kevin Maguire, Hanover Street, Batley.

IN response to the letter from Dorothy Cope (Yorkshire Post, January 26), you cannot put discipline into a toddler and trust that this will be with him or her, as she suggests, most of his young life.

When he or she attends high school, it is at this time that they need all the encouragement they can get.

Certainly, being hounded by the teaching staff can find no good.

It is the studying and passing GCSEs that count.

But I agree that there are problems with the young. Who can solve these problems? Heaven knows.

Long list to end voter alienation

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

MARGARET Thatcher's former Press Secretary, Bernard Ingham, says that Conservative leader David Cameron needs to address the alienated voters if he becomes our next Prime Minister (Yorkshire Post, January 27).

There is no chance of him ever doing that. Most of the "alienated" voters want things doing, or not doing, that are actions and policies which Cameron disagrees with.

The list is very long, and at the top is Britain's exit from the European Union.

Deport the fanatics

From: W Ruddlesdin, Upper Hoyland Road, Hoyland, Barnsley.

NOW that Britain is on severe terrorist alert, shouldn't the Government authorities deport all those Muslim clerics and fanatics who vilify our national standards back to their country of origin?