Take care over protecting Press freedom

ANYONE who values freedom of speech should applaud the comments made by the Yorkshire Post’s Editor Peter Charlton (Yorkshire Post, January 19) at the Leveson Inquiry.

Good regional newspapers regularly expose those guilty of wrongdoing in both the private and public sectors. This serves not just to shame the guilty. It is a very significant deterrent to those contemplating wrongdoing.

Of course, phone hacking and malpractice isn’t acceptable and those involved must be exposed and brought to justice and to that end the Leveson inquiry is serving its purpose.

However, it is of paramount importance that in doing so the ongoing freedom of the Press is not compromised. Never was the adage “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water” more relevant than in this case.

Days of happy teachers

From: Miss Mary Lister, Almsford Oval, Harrogate.

DAILY, we hear of yet more edicts regarding failing schools and poor teachers. The latest intimates that headteachers can now sack teachers, giving just a term’s notice (Yorkshire Post, January 14).

What about failing heads? May one mention failing Ofsted staff too? Where is the freedom to teach now?

May I suggest that there are people holding posts in the upper echelons of education, hell-bent on more and more qualifications.

I taught within the sadly defunct West Riding Education Authority. Sir Alec Clegg was the outstanding chief education officer. In those days, there was trust, there was enthusiasm, humour, loyalty, initiative.

There were happy teachers. There was real education. This emphasis on tests, league tables, reaching certain stages, is strangling education. There were advisors in my day who went into schools to share in their activities, help where help was needed, not endless criticism.

May 2012 bring some much needed common sense. The present system is eroding confidence. Irrelevant paper work exhausts teachers who should be giving all their time to teaching. Many good teachers have left teaching whose confidence has been shattered by endless inspections and the dread of the next Ofsted.

Inspired teaching is urgently needed. Teachers must have the freedom to teach. I would not be prepared to teach at primary level in England now, in this current misguided climate.

Facing up to energy issues

From: Charlie Mann, Church Street, Oughtibridge, Sheffield.

IT is pleasing to hear of the construction of offshore wind farms, providing much needed investment to the region (Yorkshire Post, January 20).

At the very mention of wind farms, ideas of beautiful, scenic patches of our landscape being visually destroyed seem to appear in people’s minds.

Offshore wind farms are different. Our much-cherished landscapes will not be plagued by vast metal structures, the visual problem will be contained to the sea.

It can’t be forgotten that at current rates, fossil fuels will eventually run out in the next 50 years, with the exception of coal, though coal has been proven before to be one of the most polluting sources of fuel there is.

Nuclear power is an option, though its relative safety is unknown.

So it is our responsibility to move on to protect the next generation. The wind is generally more powerful at sea, and there is no real problem with a lack of space, so offshore wind is really an option to view – as it is safe, clean and non-destructive of our green and pleasant land.

The problem of how we are going to source our energy in the future is one that is not going to go away,

It can’t just be a problem that is barraged with rambling junk, it has to be faced, and offshore wind farms are a real no brainer.

Starting place for work

From: Judy Robinson, chief executive, Involve Yorkshire & Humber, The Headrow, Leeds.

I AM writing about the shocking new statistics about unemployment in Yorkshire and Humber (Yorkshire Post, January 19).

Involve Yorkshire & Humber – the support agency for the region’s voluntary sector – has been calling for a new version of the Future Jobs Fund to help young unemployed people. The fund both helped young people get work experience in voluntary groups and provided those groups with another pair of hands when they really need support. A neat answer to two problems.

The voluntary sector is ideally placed to create jobs quickly and knows how to help people who have been unemployed to get back into work. We call on the Government to have a real plan for young people. This is a good starting place.