As someone currently outside the profession, I feel the strikes by teachers in their current form are likely to reduce sympathy for the profession. In its place I propose classroom revolution.

My suggestion to heads and unions is that schools are kept open on “strike” days - but no curriculum-based lessons are taught. Instead, pupils would be involved only in lessons and activities that the profession would want to teach were it not for “Government interference”. These lessons would not help achieve any Government targets, quotas or scores.

Parents would be invited to a public QA session with teachers to hear and debate the dire financial reality facing them, rather than the ignorant ranting of media pundits.

This way, pupils would learn what teachers claim they would like to teach and parents would be only minimally disrupted and encouraged to understand the core of the debate.

After a number of “strikes”, would ministers finally see and listen to a growing swell of disgruntled parents and teachers? Maybe. But it won’t happen the way things stand.

Name and address supplied.