Hard on the heels of the success of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in forcing the Government to allow recently retired teachers to return to the classroom to help students prepare for exams, there comes a suggestion from another union, the Secondary Heads Association, in its manifesto (TES, January 31) that teachers should have the right to leave the profession with a pension after 30 years’ service.
How damaging and unfair this will be to women teachers who sacrifice career prospects when taking five or so years out of teaching to be full-time mothers. As grandmothers, they will have to make up the years taken out as mothers, to bring their service up to 30 years.
Teachers, please do not campaign to replace one injustice with another.
J M CLAMPIT Wiltshire branch secretary Association of Teachers and Lecturers White’s Cottage High Street Damerham Fordingbridge , Hants
