AS head teachers complained today about the amount of initiatives hurled at education - and, indeed, they have been showed like confetti for decades - their baulking at the key one proposed by the government, of teachers' pay being linked to pupils' results, is not worthy of special sympathy.
Quite rightly, Tony Blair has told them this is non-negotiable because, as he says, again validly, nothing matters more than the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils.
Performance-related pay deserves to be introduced as a spur to improving both, but also because teachers have no grounds for exemption when millions of workers who pay their wages are assessed for theirs on how well they do their jobs.
It's only fair, sir.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article