WHILE I can understand to some extent where Mr J Turner (April 7) is coming from, he does seem to have something of a log on his shoulder regarding the work done by teachers.

Speaking from personal experience, having been a teacher of youngsters aged eight to 18, but also having the advantage of experience in engineering on the shop floor in the chemical industry meeting sales targets, and as a manager in a joinery manufacturing business, I can say in all truth that teaching was the most demanding.

It is in no way a cushy number, as he seems to suggest.

He continues, declaring that the "illiterate, innumerate yobbos and yobettes" are the products of this "pampered section of the working population". I would suggest that the "illiterate, etc" are more the product of bad parenting by that ever increasing number among us who are so vociferous about their rights yet ignorant, or worse, careless when it comes to their responsibilities.

These are the ones who abuse verbally and physically those intent on helping them when they turn up drunk at 2am in the A&E department of hospitals up and down the country. The very same ones who barge into classrooms, threatening teachers because they tried, in vain, to discipline little Johnny, a job the parents should have done long ago but were too weak and/or irresponsible to bother about.

As to his final point - is he really saying that OU degrees are Mickey Mouse degrees? If so, I would suggest he try doing one, in his spare time, when he's left the bench behind, at the weekend!

Frank Evans

Harwood