SIR – Unlike schools controlled by the county council, the new academy schools can employ ‘teachers’ without recognised teaching qualifications.

They also do not need to apply nationally agreed terms and conditions of service or to pay staff on the same national pay scales as county-controlled schools.

In other words, they can hire incapable people to “teach” our children on the cheap.

Although they must have legally-binding employment policies, they are likely to have less expertise on these matters than the professional human resources officers at County Hall.

Some of the consequences of this have been reported in the Worcester News coverage of the unqualified former teacher at Tudor Grange Academy whose claim for unfair dismissal has been heard at an employment tribunal in Birmingham.

The headteacher Clare Maclean is reported as admitting to not applying proper employment practices and that an unqualified teacher was employed.

The head has now had to spend many hours at a tribunal when she could have been in school helping young people achieve.

Perhaps the Government should think again about taking schools (and health services) away from the control of the local organisations which were set up to support and monitor them.

PAUL DENHAM
Councillor for Rainbow Hill Worcester City Council