Letters: In defence of teachers

Teacher trouble

Sir: Rod Liddle (‘The trouble with teachers’, 24 June) is quite correct in what he says about the state of our schools. He also offers a glimmer of hope that at least the children in question exhibit common sense. But he is quite wrong about teachers being dim – mostly they are not. Teachers want to be able to pass on their knowledge to their pupils in a style that suits them and their students best. Why do some appear dim-witted? The answer is simple: fear. Fear of parents and fear of managers. Most parents are great and a joy to work with, but a minority – about 5 per cent – make teachers’ lives hell. It’s no coincidence that my most popular teacher training course is ‘Dealing with Difficult Parents’.

Managers are simply passing their fear down the line. They are subject to local authorities who peddle the mantra that equality, inclusivity and diversity are more important than children learning English or chemistry. Even the Department for Education seems to have swallowed this. Headteachers are also in fear of Ofsted. When I served as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors I was instructed to make the inspection process as stressful as possible. I was even given tips on how to do this.

The solutions are simple: abandon wokeness, give teachers autonomy to do what they do best, and replace Ofsted with an inspectorate that is fit for purpose.

Thomas Packer

Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir, Lincs

The right place to stop

Sir: I was also in the audience when Just Stop Oil protestors disrupted the performance of the Carmélites at Glyndebourne on 15 June, and concur entirely with the account given by
Richard Bratby in his review of the opera (Arts, 24 June). What he didn’t mention was that, from the stage, we were assured that the protestors had been left in no doubt by Gus Christie of Glyndebourne’s impeccable green ‘credentials’, and that none of the protestors had been arrested or charged.