The opinions of John Blunt are not necessarily those of this newspaper

EASTER Week would not be the same without militant delegates ranting about strike action at the annual conference of 200,000-strong National Union of Teachers.

Bolshie with it, too, they were this time -- howling down education minister Estelle Morris over the government's plans to introduce performance-related pay which will give all teachers who are up to scratch a £2,000-a-year pay rise.

Said Miss Morris, herself a former teacher and NUT member: "I must be the only minister in history heckled for coming to offer a £2,000 pay rise."

Why the NUT delegates' anger? Because they want the two grand for all teachers -- good, bad or indifferent.

In other words, they are against the sort of assessment to which workers in all kinds of jobs and occupations are subject and take for granted, because it is based on payment by results rather than reward for just being there.

This is a profession that has opposed tests, league tables, literacy and numeracy targets and schemes to sort out failing schools -- in short, every method of sorting out the good teachers from the bad.

Why? What are they more interested in -- actually teaching kids, or an easy life?

But don't they take the biscuit with their latest tactic to avoid being held to account -- with delegates claiming that performance-related pay would increase stress on teachers and project anxiety on to children?

Oh, I see -- it's the kids, not themselves, they are concerned about.

Oh, pul-ease!