Page 47

Your letters (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 46)

Supply scandal

It is scandalous that a supply teacher working in special schools for 24 years has had to change professions because of the manipulation of classroom assistants (‘Your letters’, December). I wish the ex-teacher every success as a child psychotherapist, but she should never have had to change career in the first place.

If this were happening in the medical field there would be outrage. It is time for both classroom assistants and the public to insist on fully qualified teachers in the class.

Name and address supplied


Abusive language

Seen in a recent job advert for a Surrey primary school: ‘Are you an outstanding teacher or HLTA cover supervisor?’

Presumably experienced, good teachers need not apply (though less qualified high level teaching assistants may). And what was the school offering these prosptective outstanding applicants? Two days’ PPA cover.

When will this abuse of our language stop? How many teachers go around claiming they are outstanding?

Similar ‘estate agent’ language can be seen in adverts where schools warn applicants that all manner of searches and checks will be made – notably CRB checks. Surely it is a given that a full CRB check would be made for any successful applicant?

From an experienced hard-working, loyal teacher who is, sadly, not outstanding.

J Harris
London


Recognition is due

I am thinking about retirement and have a number of friends approaching retirement age. Several of them have been in teaching since they left university and have devoted a lifetime to teaching in the state sector.

Does a teacher receive anything by way of recognition for this service? Individual schools, and even local authorities, might mark the occasion – especially if a teacher has worked exclusively in one institution or LA for decades. However, this is surely not often the case. The colleagues I am thinking of have worked in a number of posts across the country.

Perhaps the DCSF does mark a retirement of this kind, but I have never heard of such a thing happening. Can anyone enlighten me please?

Name and address supplied


Please write

The editor welcomes your letters but reserves the right to edit them. Write to Your letters, The Teacher, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email teacher@nut.org.uk. Letters for the March issue should reach us no later than Monday 25 January.
Please note we cannot print letters sent in without name and postal address (or NUT membership number), although we can withhold details from publication if you wish.

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Please update your membership details

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