Shropshire Star

LETTER: Teachers’ pay rise long overdue

A reader urges the country to recognise teachers.

Published
Primary school teacher helps a pupil at desk with classwork

As the mother and grandmother of teachers, I am infuriated by the sentiments expressed in the letter from Michael Hughes in the issue of August 11.

My relatives have been teaching the children of key workers throughout lock down and also producing lessons over the internet for their other pupils. Moreover my daughter and her fellow teachers have spent many hours setting up their school in such a way as to be able to welcome all pupils back in September, keeping both them and their teachers as safe as possible.

MrHughes obviously does not appreciate the amount of planning which is entailed in producing lessons for all levels of pupils in entirely unprecedented circumstances. Furthermore, the pay rise which he refers to is, in my opinion way overdue, but again, this pay rise has to be met out of existing budgets, and so, many teachers will not receive it.

In no way do I under value the work of all the workers who he mentions. I feel that they should all be rewarded, but I am so tired of the often ill informed criticism of the whole teaching profession that I felt moved to send this refutation of Mr Hughes’ letter,

Suzette Collier, Horsehay

Send us your letters for publication:

Email us at starmail@shropshirestar.co.uk or write to: Readers’ Letters, Shropshire Star, Ketley, Telford, TF1 5HU. Letters MUST include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Letters will only be published anonymously in exceptional circumstances. The editor reserves the right to condense or amend letters.