There has been much comment recently about employment prospects for new entrants to the profession, but I would like to draw attention to the waste of time, money and effort spent on the appointments process where posts are filled, in what seems the majority of cases, by an internal candidate.

At best, this is unfair; at worst, it is discriminatory towards other candidates. Often adverts appear months after the post becomes available and the leeting process takes weeks. Such practice leads to the vacancy being filled by an internal candidate, who gains invaluable experience of the remit on top of obviously knowing the school.

Other colleagues have told me of incidents where the remit, and subsequent interview questions, have been so closely tailored to the school candidate that it is impossible for others to shine in the same way.

Schools benefit from new faces, different experiences and perspectives. Every applicant deserves a level playing field but, for many, the game is over before it has begun.

Alan Brown, Dumbarton Road, Old Kilpatrick, West Dunbartonshire.