Don't blame teachers for the shortcomings of our system

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2012/nov/04/big-issue-public-schools-social-mobility

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Teachers most definitely are not "the barrier to disadvantaged children breaking out of their situation" ("Yes, teachers ought to inspire, but they can't work in isolation", Comment).

Neither David Laws nor Will Hutton presents one jot of evidence for this claim. It is more likely that teachers are among the greatest advocates for, and encouragers of, disadvantaged children. By all accounts, we have the highest standards and practice in the teaching force that we have ever had and this would not be the case without high aspirations for children.

Poverty is the major barrier to disadvantaged children breaking out of their situation. Studies have shown that improvements to housing, health, environment and parenting skills of disadvantaged families result in improved educational achievements.

Dr Robin C Richmond

Bromyard, Herefordshire

Will Hutton's stimulating article reminded me of the hindrance to social mobility created by our public school system: the present cabinet and "top" jobs are dominated by former public school boys. In these days of austerity, when the government talks continuously of "fairness" and is wide open to charges of privilege and hypocrisy, it's revealing that public schools are still given significant tax concessions. Public services are the poorer because the offspring of the wealthy enjoy life-defining, subsidised perks afforded by a private school education.

A previous job took me to numerous private schools, most of which were extending their already well-appointed premises through the building of theatres, swimming pools, sports halls and lecture rooms. The public sector would benefit greatly if private schools paid full tax and wealthy parents made donations to their local comprehensive rather than to private schools. Social mobility would benefit, too.

David Curtis

Solihull, West Midlands

Will Hutton is at it again. His insufficiently veiled attacks on state educators are beginning to appear positively Tory and Govean in nature, despite his surrounding them with coalition-baiting rhetoric.

This time, we're failing to inspire working-class youngsters to escape their lot in the X Factor-style meritocracy we supposedly find ourselves operating in. In Hutton's world, encouraging an averagely intelligent child with practically zero home-academic support to see dignity and contentment in a career with Tesco or McDonald's is tantamount to a sin punishable by Will's own brand of paternalistic opprobrium.

Hutton and his high-minded friends would be likely to see only failure in the many hundreds of intelligent, working-class students I have taught who have gone on to a university education, despite all the odds.

Britain in 2012 is no meritocracy. Hutton is the first to assert this and one of the most important voices of the liberal left. It is all the more galling to be in continual receipt of his disdain. Not only are state educators frustrated almost beyond words by a rigged system that places so many barriers in front of our intelligent, working-class students, but we are still in the best position to effect change in this respect, should the political class ever stop changing everything we try to do in the cause of short-term electoral gain.

Terry Wood

London N1

I fully endorse the comments made by Will Hutton with regard to David Laws. For years, I have been both a fully paid-up Lib Dem member and an economics teacher (now retired). From my perspective, Laws has a lot to answer for.

At the same time, I take issue with Hutton's comments that in too many schools, "... teaching is little more than getting through the day without incident, shepherding the barely controllable class to modest qualifications". In my experience of three schools where I have governorship responsibilities, all the senior leadership teams are 100% committed to excellence and aspiration and this transfers to the majority of their staff.

It is wide of the mark for David Laws to write of "depressingly low expectations" among teachers and careers advisers. I fear that he is about to do as much damage to teaching as he has already helped do to the UK economy.

John Cole

Bradford