‘DEMOCRAT’ of Lindley chooses to write anonymously about academies and education so it is difficult to know what qualifications or experience he has to support his views.

From the evidence of the letter his main qualification is a degree in reading and regurgitating Daily Mail editorials.

His letter contains so many unsupported prejudices about teachers it is difficult to know where to start, but I would like to make a few points.

I have recently retired after teaching for 36 years in secondary mainstream and special schools. I realise this does not make me an expert on all aspects of education, but I think I do have some knowledge of what I am talking about.

In all those years I can honestly say I have never met a teacher who wanted their pupils to fail or who is not pleased when pupils do well in exams.

People who have consciously made a career choice to help children learn do not want to see them later condemned to a life on benefits at £67 a week.

It is wrong to blame teachers for the unemployment of young people. It was the bankers who caused the recession that led to redundancies and a lack of jobs in the private sector.

It is the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition who are cutting and making redundancies in the public sector.

It is not a lack of skills that means young people cannot get jobs; it is the lack of jobs. Is Democrat unaware of all the unemployed graduates, most of whom have wonderful skills?

Democrat blames teachers for ‘dumbing down’ and thinks academies are the answer. It is true some schools use GCSE equivalents to improve their position in the league tables, but the schools that make most use of this to boost their positions are academies who are under great pressure to make it look as if they are really improving things.

Democrat can, if he cares, contact me and I will happily provide him with all the necessary references to the relevant statistics.

To say there is a problem, but then say the solution is to give more power and influence to the worst offenders, is a very peculiar logic.

Finally I must comment on the irony of your correspondent’s choice of pseudonym – Democrat.

One of the main points about academies is that they can be, and are being, set up by small groups of governors, who do not have to take any notice of the views of staff, parents, pupils or the wider community.

They are very undemocratic institutions and can be run by a small, self-perpetuating unaccountable clique.

By leaving the local authority, academies remove themselves from local democratic control.

Martin Jones

Marsden

Sticking to the facts

DEMOCRAT of Lindley (Education ‘clearly betraying children,’ February 8) obviously has strong opinions on the future of schools.

Sadly, he didn’t back those opinions up with evidence – you know, those tedious, boring things known as ‘facts’.

For example, he told us that education authorities ‘ ... impose unnecessary and often ridiculous health and safety rules, introduce political correct practices ...’ which harm schools.

Since he is so keen on education, I presume Democrat knows that an opinion not backed by facts might be nothing more than a prejudice.

I look forward to hearing his evidence for these claims.

Mr R A Vant

Holmfirth

Closing our toilets

KIRKLEES councillors should have second thoughts about closing public toilets.

On any working day across Kirklees, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 male and female council workers who work outside on average 7½ - 8 hours per day. These include road sweepers, refuse collectors, gardeners, highways and building workers.

To close toilets is a disgrace. By not providing toilet and washing facilities, could Kirklees Council be breaking health and safety regulations, human rights and Disability Act laws?

Managers of these departments know this has been a problem for years, but are at a loss to know what to do.

If these closures go ahead I hope the unions will take legal action to stop these closures for the health of all council employees and not forgetting us, the general public.

Douglas Graham

Retired Road Sweeper, Berry Brow

Parish procedure

PARISH councillor Bill Armer (Mailbag, February 4) points out that the law stipulates when the Kirkburton Parish Council by-election must be held after the vacancies were declared.

I did know this and that misses the point of my question. Three resignations at the same time looks like coordinated action. That being so, a little more thought and coordination would have delayed them a few weeks until the statutory requirements would have permitted a by-election on the same day as the Kirklees local elections saving several thousand pounds.

I feel sure the clerk would have given this advice had she been asked.

As things stand, the people of Kirkburton, Highburton and Shepley will go out to vote on February 16 in far fewer numbers than they would have done in May and the council taxpayers of the Kirkburton Parish Council will foot the bill, which could be up to £5,000.

Mike Greetham

Secretary, Kirkburton Labour Party

Best foot forward

I HAVE been working as the project manager for the Kirkburton Parish Walks project for two years now, in what has been an interesting, innovative and unique project.

The walk maps will be printed soon. There is a walk for each village in the parish and depicts a historical character from each village leading the walker round the walk.

For example, the Kirkheaton walk is called Lizzie’s Lollop, and is named after Elizabeth Drake aged nine, who died in a mill fire after being locked inside, in 1818. A memorial to the children who died can be found in Kirkheaton graveyard.

We have tried to make the maps colourful and interesting, ensuring they will appeal to young and old alike.

We have also had a guide stoop carved for each village, and six have been installed so far. The sculptor and I recently went into Highburton School to work with the children on an image for the Highburton guide stoop. We talked about the importance of walking and staying healthy, the children really enjoyed the session.

All the children in the parish will receive a map of their village. When the walks are completed, I hope all the residents in the Kirkburton ward will get out and enjoy the fresh air by walking their village walk, and finding the stoop on route.

And just to set the record straight, the £6,000 of funding from the Parish Council is still to be spent on footpath maintenance, the installation of way-marker discs and the installation of the last three guide stoops. Project management fees have been paid by EPIP, East Peak Innovation Partnership, www.epip.org.uk and all hours paid have been matched by some 200 hours of voluntary time.

We hope that the area, through this project will achieve Walkers are Welcome status, helping to sustain local shops and pubs, and I will be in touch shortly asking for their support for the initiative.

Michelle Atkinson

Shepley

Innocent Alfred

I HAVE been following the Alfred Moore case for quite some time now and it seems to me quite evident that Alfred Moore of Kirkheaton was not guilty. He was a prolific burglar, not a killer.

Two policemen died in the execution of their duty and someone had to pay the price for these two deaths.

Just a year later another young person died on the gallows in another miscarriage of justice: his name was Derek William Bentley.

After 1864, the responsibility for executions then fell to sheriffs or under-sheriffs, and reprieves of people sentenced to death could come only from a home secretary.

GE

Dalton

Demonising Tesco

THE usual inaccurate accounts of what a Tesco store would do to Holmfirth are continuing to appear.

Clare Druce starts her anti-Tesco letter (Mailbag, February 7) with the words “If Tesco gets the go-ahead, Holmfirth could become a ghost town”.

Highly doubtful. Where do you think that most valley dwellers currently do their main weekly shop?

In the vast majority of cases the answer to this is, not Holmfirth.

However with the arrival of some real choice and competition that could be rectified and the independent traders of the town could reap great benefits.

The usual scaremongering comments about ‘Huge increases in traffic’ are poured out again.

I understand that at peak periods on Friday and Saturday the increase in traffic at the site would increase by an average of seven cars a minute.

Susan Clark continues the anti-Tesco assault by introducing the tried and tested ‘Hundreds of schoolchildren’ being put at risk.

The greatest danger produced by the road system in that area is the behaviour of many parents on the school run who park without any consideration for any other road users.

The source of the vast majority of the congestion around Heys Road are the inconsiderate parents on the school run who feel that they have the right to pull up anywhere they choose to irrespective of the congestion and danger they cause.

The inclusion of a set of traffic lights at the entrance to the store will have the effect of calming the traffic flow and sensible parents may choose to drop their offspring off on the Tesco car park and let them walk the last couple of hundred metres.

At present we, like the vast majority of valley households, travel to Huddersfield to do our main weekly shop and when we have completed it, that is where we stay.

The shopkeepers of Holmfirth are being offered a huge opportunity. Let’s hope they seize it.

I disagree wholeheartedly, incidentally, with Peter Allen’s assessment of the traffic problems caused by the proposed Tesco development (Mailbag, February 6).

As for the junction at New Mill, Tesco have already pledged to look into improvements as a matter of urgency should the development go ahead.

Tim Radcliffe

Holmfirth