I feel incensed after reading Gerard Kelly’s defence of performance-related pay in the UK (“What a performance about merit-based pay”, 26 April). Mr Kelly claims that on the matter of “trust” there “will always be a few stupid heads but the vast majority are honest and self-aware”. But just one “stupid head” is one too many and the future pay of a teacher should not be in the hands of such a principal.

Second, it is grossly unfair that some teachers, with the same length of service as their colleagues, will be paid more because they are deemed to have “performed” better. This is a recipe for discontent in any school. Mr Kelly’s article is a kick in the teeth for all hard-working teachers and he is out of touch with the majority of his readers. He should be thoroughly ashamed of his ill-conceived and inflammatory comments.

Craig Bryan, English teacher, Leeds.