Teacher trouble

Sir: Rod Liddle (‘The trouble with teachers’, 24 June) is quite correct in what he says about the state of our schools. He also offers a glimmer of hope that at least the children in question exhibit common sense. But he is quite wrong about teachers being dim – mostly they are not. Teachers want to be able to pass on their knowledge to their pupils in a style that suits them and their students best. Why do some appear dim-witted? The answer is simple: fear. Fear of parents and fear of managers. Most parents are great and a joy to work with, but a minority – about 5 per cent – make teachers’ lives hell. It’s no coincidence that my most popular teacher training course is ‘Dealing with Difficult Parents’.

Managers are simply passing their fear down the line. They are subject to local authorities who peddle the mantra that equality, inclusivity and diversity are more important than children learning English or chemistry. Even the Department for Education seems to have swallowed this. Headteachers are also in fear of Ofsted. When I served as one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors I was instructed to make the inspection process as stressful as possible. I was even given tips on how to do this.

The solutions are simple: abandon wokeness, give teachers autonomy to do what they do best, and replace Ofsted with an inspectorate that is fit for purpose.

Thomas Packer

Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir, Lincs

The right place to stop

Sir: I was also in the audience when Just Stop Oil protestors disrupted the performance of the Carmélites at Glyndebourne on 15 June, and concur entirely with the account given by Richard Bratby in his review of the opera (Arts, 24 June). What he didn’t mention was that, from the stage, we were assured that the protestors had been left in no doubt by Gus Christie of Glyndebourne’s impeccable green ‘credentials’, and that none of the protestors had been arrested or charged. I couldn’t help wondering whether this wasn’t a further demonstration of the naivety of those who believe that Just Stop Oil protestors are decent people at heart. But the group are uninterested in the complexities of the environmental debate. They acquired tickets because they hate everything that Glyndebourne represents, including their corporate supporters.

I agree with Richard Bratby that the protestors would at least have enjoyed the end of the opera, had they remained. As it is, their lack of musical knowledge meant that they disrupted the opera in a place where it was possible to start again. Any later, and the performance might have had to be cancelled.

Richard Ritchie

London SW18

Just the tonic

Sir: In her ‘Letter from Kyrgyzstan’ (24 June), Alice Hancock painted a lively and accurate portrait of a wonderful country that until recently hasn’t been on many holiday lists. I would recommend, for anyone planning a visit, to buy on arrival a bottle of Arashan Balsam, a delicious local concoction of herbs, berries and cognac. It proved an invaluable travelling companion, being excellent for altitude sickness, bad roads and nights in yurts.

Sarah Lambirth

By email

Brutalist honesty

Sir: I don’t suppose I shall be the only reader to suggest that Tom Holland mistakenly refers to the ‘brutalist masterpiece that is Bolton bus station’ (Diary, 24 June). I think he means to refer to Preston bus station, which is a listed building and a brutalist masterpiece. ‘Bolton Interchange’, the bus station, opened in 2017 and has not yet been accorded that accolade.

Roger Etchells

Newton Burgoland, Leicestershire

Dare to care

Sir: As a retired children’s services manager for a large local authority and more recently the chair of that authority’s fostering panel for several years, I can endorse all of the points made by Martin Newland in his splendid article on foster care (‘Children in need’, 24 June). On many occasions I have felt humbled by the commitment and dedication shown by foster carers, all too often with inadequate support. As Newland says, the pressure on social workers and other professionals in the safeguarding field can be intolerable. There can be few more rewarding roles than being a foster carer, and I share his hope that the article may stimulate some readers to become one.

Ian Gates

Cleadon Lea, Sunderland

Quite contrary

Sir: Disagreeing with Dear Mary is almost sacrilegious to me, so I do hope she forgives me. However I must challenge her advice of 17 June regarding the man gardening in his pants. I firmly believe that in one’s own garden one should dress exactly as one wishes. If the neighbours do not like it, they can always move.

Sue Mason

Long Sutton, Lincs

Cryptic remarks

Sir: Martin Vander Weyer concludes that crypto assets are ‘neither a commodity nor a security, but an evanescent casino chip’ (Any Other Business, 17 June). Yet he fails to acknowledge that the attraction of cryptocurrencies in particular lies in their status as assets beyond government control. After surveying the wreckage of monetary and fiscal policy in many western countries, who could gainsay the crypto fans? It is, of course, precisely this freedom from state control that encourages governments and their agencies to regulate crypto assets out of existence.

Tim Orchard

London NW1

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