How dare they call teachers cheats

Teachers are accused of cheating when preparing pupils for examinations.

Like millions of others over the years, I went through the system at a time when success or failure depended entirely upon the outcome of an examination in a room where I was closely supervised and not allowed even the suspicion of improper practice.

There came a time when politicians of whatever persuasion decided this was unfair because it failed to account for factors that were beyond the responsibility of the candidate. Politicians, mostly from the left, seized upon this as an ideal opportunity for challenging the status quo, thus clearing the way for conditions in vogue at this time.

The rot set in with the acceptance of coursework, which rapidly became a source of plagiarism on a massive scale taking advantage of the vast increase in the use of information technology in the schools and beyond.

Examinees were even allowed to take prepared information and text books into the examination itself. The use of cribs, which was previously regarded as a serious breach of discipline, became respectable even encouraged, overnight.

This disastrous situation was compounded by the introduction of league tables which were even more disastrous setting as they did school against school in competition for prestige and financial resources.

Teachers are teachers first and not agents for government propaganda. Which of us has not offered a tentative nod to the occasional worthy struggler reminding me of a quotation often used by Douglas Bader: "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men".

The Blair years were notorious for persuading the public that standards were rising when employers and lecturers selecting candidates for university were continually having to state the reverse. How dare the present crop of politicians accuse teachers of cheating when the standards of many of them are comparable with those of a street market cheapjack.

Norman Freeman, The Greenlands, Wombourne.