Teachers should carry on moaning

SO Mr G Jarvis thinks teachers should stop moaning (Viewpoints, April 6).

Why? Shouldn’t they moan about not being able to provide children with a decent education?

My son is a newly-qualified science teacher. He is 24, earns £22,000 and owes £55,000 on a student loan. He is up at 5am every day preparing his lessons; he is straight back working when he gets home, marking and preparing for the next day lessons.

On Thursday and Friday he has five lessons with 30-plus students in each class.

He brings home 150 books each night to mark, all different age groups, and endless mountains of paperwork.

There are now no classroom assistants at his school, so he’s on his own.

There were six newly qualified teachers who started at his school in September. He is the last one standing. This is a ‘good’ school. There are incidents every day. Teachers have to be there to just try and keep a lid on the chaos.

He got a 2.1 science degree and went into teaching to teach the subject that he loves. He could earn a lot more elsewhere. He doesn’t moan – he’s too exhausted.

I’m very proud of him. He is and can be a wonderful teacher. He is soldiering on, hoping for some job satisfaction at some point.

Does the government want young gifted students to go into teaching? Our children deserve a decent education don’t they? Well if conditions don’t improve they won’t get it.

Carry on moaning teachers, until the government improves schools and the whole teaching profession gets a chance at offering a decent service.

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