The following letters are in response to one claiming not using the previous lockdown closures as an opportunity for teacher training days, was a 'missed opportunity'.

If you would like to submit a letter, on any subject, email us at news@leaderlive.co.uk

ARE OUR TEACHERS NOT ALREADY TRAINED?

Having read the letter from Steven Vale, Parent (October 26) I couldn't help but write in.

Firstly there are no such thing as 'Baker Days' anymore, as these were named after Kenneth Baker, who was the education secretary in the 1980s.

These days are just so called training days, which were originally started to teach the teachers about the new curriculum when GCSEs were brought in to replace the old O levels and CSE in the middle of a school term.

These days, this type of day isn't needed at all as the teachers have already been trained and if they are not fit for the job they shouldn't be doing it and be replaced with properly trained teachers.

In any other line of work, if the person can't do the job they are not taken on and the ones with the correct qualifications are, so it is a joke.

It is also about time they were abolished, which would be better all round for everyone, as teachers on these days are getting paid for not doing the job they are supposed to be doing, also not every teacher 'turns up' to school on these days.

So it is about time Mr Vale got himself into the present and the teachers were stopped given these days and got on with their job.

Name and address supplied

TEACHER TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL

I write in response to the letter from Steve Vale 'missed opportunity', asking why schools didn't have training days during the lockdown from March to July.

I represent many employees who work in schools, and during the first lockdown, schools and their employees were used to provide care for children of key workers, staff were providing support for their usual school pupils, many did virtual teaching.

They were preparing for the measures that needed to be put in place for the schools to reopen for pupils, albeit on a limited basis, prior to the summer holidays.

Staff training this year is important for all staff, headteachers, teachers and school support staff, as there is a new curriculum being introduced and there are many changes that all need to be aware of in preparation for its introduction.

Sarah Taylor, Branch Secretary, Flintshire Unison