TEACHERS are moaning about their pay. But it's not their inflation-busting increase this week they are unhappy with. It's that they will actually have to earn the ones in future.

They fought school tests for the children because they also measured their own ability. But now their fury is over the government bringing in performance-related pay.

But why are they so scared - if they are the overworked toilers they claim to be?

Is not the answer that so many - thousands, in fact - are not?

And because the long-overdue jolt that performance-linked pay will bring to account the droves of incompetent teachers protected by the present system and supported by the Leftie teaching unions' hatred of "divisive" comparisons?

What concern for improving education can the Luddite unions claim to have when the day before their pay award this week, government inspectors reported that four per cent of teachers - some 15,000 - are failing to deliver an adequate education to their pupils?

Why should they get automatic pay rises - when what they merit is the sack?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.