As a retired teacher with family and friends still in the profession, I have to take issue with John Harris’ claim that our current method of teaching involves “standing in front of thirty kids and yelling at them for an hour” (the right’s heartless overdiagnosis bandwagon is rolling. Wes Streeting shouldn’t be there, Dec 7). At no point in my career would this have been considered an acceptable method of teaching children, regardless of their individual needs or learning styles.
Jane Caley
Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands
Susie White was lucky to find holly with berries (Country Diary, December 8). The one in my front garden had its inner berries eaten by wood pigeons some time ago, and now the rest is gone – after a flock of redwings grabbed the berries at the ends of the branches where the fat pigeons couldn’t reach. Not a single flash of scarlet remains.
Copland Smith
Whalley Range, Manchester
Regarding Barney Ronay’s article (Burning down the Baz-house is easy, but what comes after that for England?, December 8): If cricket became a regular activity taught in public schools, instead of being largely absent from them, England would have the best team in the world within five to ten years.
Ursula Hutchinson
Newport, Isle of Wight
As sickening as it was to see Donald Trump receive a peace prize from FIFA (Letters, December 7), is this now an opportunity for a game of inept prize givers and receivers? How about a physics prize presented by the Flat Earth Society?
Martin McColgan
Matching green, Essex
What about the Impact School of Motoring (Letters, December 7)?
Mike Crompton
Oxted, Surrey
#Yelling #class #Short #letters