YOUR SHOUT

Fiona, I frequently send up a silent prayer of thanks to you when I read your articles. Why? Because I am a teacher (recently retired).

It is so unusual, but so incredibly nice, to know there are some people out there who actually understand and support us in what we are trying – against the odds of government interference and criticism – to do.

So a heartfelt thanks from me and, I’m sure, from all of my colleagues still battling. Sue Harris, via email FP: It’s an absolute pleasure, Sue. This Government – especially Michael Gove’s uneducated, sweeping changes that gifted lower grades than expected for hundreds of students over the past few years, has destroyed teachers’ and students’ morale.

And the changes keep a coming – the scrapping of Sats for seven-year-olds (hurrah!); the new Grade 4 GCSE ‘standard’ pass; which replaced the old C pass; the Grade 5 ‘strong’ pass. What a mess. It’d take an A grade student to understand it all. Or do I mean a Grade 9 student? Confused? You will be, if you aren’t already.

Fiona, schools now solely teach kids how to pass exams. They’re not taught life skills – they’re not even taught sport. The schools I’m in have taken away art, music, sports and play, all of which help children to express themselves.

There are very sad angry kids. @MissjacksonUK via Twitter