I was greatly encouraged by Anita Higham’s call for radical reforms (TES Opinion, April 3). I feel that when the academic year is shuffled, as it inevitably will be, the proposals put forward will help the profession no end. Clearly defined working hours will enable teachers, who already put in the hours, to go home without a bag of pupils’ books or planning files to be ready for the next day.
Standardising hours will allow the media and general public to give us some of the professional recognition we are currently denied. The misplaced concept of “in at five-to-nine and out by four” will finally be laid to rest. We won’t have to justify our time any longer. Coupled with professional recognition would be salaries. An increase in hours must surely result in an increase in pay. This would be a perfect opportunity to redress the balance.
It would be great if teachers could “use our enormous brain power” to solve the problem as was suggested. Sadly as we all know, education issues are not addressed by those who work directly in schools. Were that the case, we would not be in the state we are in now.
RICHARD T WILSON
richard@byrom.demon.co.uk
