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Letters

make for bad teaching. I have two children and a busy commute. I regularly work till the small hours when necessary. I consider myself a dedicated and accomplished practitioner.

I still love the job – and boy, do I enjoy my holidays!

Sara Sullivan Essex

Tuition conundrum

I recently spoke to two acquaintances who told me their children were in need of extra help. They were charged for private tuition by their class teachers in two primary schools. One parent was charged £25 per hour while the other was charged £15.

Is the reality that the children would not have been helped unless their parents paid? Have the teachers concerned broken their ethical code?

Bill Coughlan Essex

Stand up for comics

I was interested to hear Michael Rosen and a teaching assistant talking about the NUT’s ‘Reading for pleasure’ campaign on BBC Breakfast. They spoke about the joys of picture books in persuading children away from video games, but only mentioned the value of sequential art – comics – in passing, saying “anything is better than nothing”.

This seems sadly typical of the way the blend of word and picture is regarded by many who profess to want to increase literacy and get children reading. Maybe there’s some inbuilt fear – ‘if we introduce them to reading through comics, they might be hooked forever and never cross to the holy place of prose‘.

Such a view does not value comics as great works that deserve to be appreciated on a par with other uses of the written word. There is much evidence documenting the value comics have in getting children to read. If they are not being used because of snobbery or misconceptions, they are a wasted resource.

I’m helping a new not-for-profit website called Cartoon Classroom get going. Our aim is to supply libraries, schools and colleges with access to cartoon and sequential art writers and artists. Find out more at www. cartoonclassroom.co.uk.

David Lloyd, illustrator, V for Vendetta

• Tell us about Reading for Pleasure in your school – see page 17.

Green magazine

Just wanted to say what a great idea it is to have The Teacher magazine online (www.teachers.org.uk/teacher-online). No more wondering what to do with my read magazine. It also helps to save trees. Well done!

Foo Ping Tee by email

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 June issue should reach us no later than Friday 30 July.

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.

NUT regional and Wales offices

 1 NORTHERN

Auckland House, High Chare, Chester-le-Street DH3 3PX T: 0191 389 0999 E: northern@nut.org.uk

2 NORTH WEST

 25 Chorley New Road, Bolton BL1 4QR T: 01204 521 434 E: north.west@nut.org.uk

3 YORKSHIRE/MIDLAND

 7/9 Chequer Road, Doncaster DN1 2AA T: 01302 342 448 E: yorkshire.midland@nut.org.uk

4 MIDLANDS

Jarvis House, 96 Stone Road, Stafford ST16 2RS T: 01785 244 129 E: midlands@nut.org.uk

5 EASTERN

Elm House, Kennett Park, Moulton Road, Kentford, Nr Newmarket CB8 8GF T: 01638 555 300. E: eastern@nut.org.uk

6 SOUTH EAST

Britton House, College Road, Ardingly, Haywards Heath RH17 6TT T: 01444 894 500 E: south.east@nut.org.uk

7 SOUTH WEST

 1 Lower Ave, Heavitree, Exeter EX1 2PR T: 01392 258 028 E: south.west@nut.org.uk

8 LONDON (Hammersmith)

Ravenscourt Ho, 322A King Street, London W6 0RR

 (Ilford) 103 Cranbrook Road, Ilford IG1 4PU T: 020 8477 1234 E: london@nut.org.uk

WALES

Ty Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court Vanguard Way Cardiff CF24 5PJ T: 029 2049 1818

E: cymru.wales@nut.org.uk

Moved or changed your job? Please update your membership details

Ring 0845 300 1666, visit www.teachers.org.uk, go to ‘Your union’ and click ‘Update membership’, or write to Records and Subscription Services, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD.

Please let the union know if you:

 • change your home or school address

• change your employment contract (to permanent, fixed-term, supply, full-time or part-time teacher)

• are about to change to reduced subscription membership (maternity leave, retired/left profession membership)

• are appointed to a new post such as deputy head, head teacher, or Emtag teacher.

Need help or advice?

If you’ve got a problem at work, or want to know more about NUT services, contact:

• your school representative, or

• your local association (use the ‘NUT contact directory’ map at www.teachers.org.uk) or

• your regional office, or NUT Cymru in Wales (see below).