The heads I have encountered and disliked most boasted about working 12-hour days and most weekends. Teachers who work excessive hours surely have the remedy in their own hands: they should work less. The government can hardly fire the entire teaching profession. Nobody outside a few vital professions should have to put in more than a 40-hour week.

I would add that if teachers didn’t make pupils waste their evenings doing homework and coursework, they wouldn’t have to waste theirs marking it. I lack sympathy for teachers who spend their time telling pupils off about trivial things and then complain about being overworked. Perhaps their next industrial action could take the form of ceasing to enforce petty rules?

Mark Taha, London.