So, the teaching unions have taken a vote of no confidence in Michael Gove. I’m sure he is quaking in his boots. A problem (one of many) is that Mr Gove seems to be proud of how irate teachers have become. Indeed, it is the sort of badge of honour that will serve him well in his political career; a senior Tory needs to annoy a trade union or two. Unfortunately, Mr Gove has created an unholy alliance within the profession: the three main unions, a heads’ union and Oxbridge. This is not a collection of hard-nosed socialists who need to be tamed, this is a collection of people who understand pedagogy and strongly disagree with the education secretary’s proposals.

I accept that pensions will have to change. However, the new curriculum proposals and those made for taking GCSEs (in style, if not in name) back to a long-discredited O-level system worry the majority of the profession. Most teachers enter the profession not for pensions or pay but because they want to educate. Is it not, therefore, more than likely that they will have a clearer idea than politicians of which educational methods may work? Their anger has nothing to do with education secretary-bashing, but results from a genuine concern that someone with no idea about what he is doing is making huge changes.

Daniel Edmunds, Hythe, Kent.