MY secondary modern school days ended in 1948 when I was 15. I loved my years at St Benet's and appreciated what dedicated teachers did for me and for the rest of us, who came mainly from poor working-class homes in Monkwearmouth.
In those days, schoolteachers were held in respect because of the importance of their profession in moulding the future of those in their charge.
After witnessing a noisy demonstration by striking members of the National Union of Teachers, I now understand why that professional group no longer has the respect once readily afforded by all right-thinking people. The incoherent bellowing and contorted faces of both male and female demonstrators punching the air with closed fists gave me reason to question their choice of vocation.
The demonstration appeared to be nothing more than an extension of the way the NUT conducted its affairs at the national conference. Like any other half-baked political organisation, it appears to be more concerned with the class war than the well-being of our children in school classrooms.
Listening to the garbage coming from some of the delegates convinced me that they are opposed to the pursuit of excellence and are oblivious to the fact that this country now turns out some of the most poorly educated children in the civilised world.
R Metcalfe,
Warwick Drive,
East Herrington

What's in a name?
RE the letter which says "Stop referring to Mam as Mum," I have to ask why.
I am a great-grandparent. My only daughter moved to America 12 years ago. She, as a child, called me Mummy; when older it was Mum. Now her cards and letters refer to me as Mom, with which I find no fault whatsoever.
My granddaughter calls me Nan, her grandfather Nandad, which she chose and we love. My great-grandchildren would find it hard to call us Great-Nan and Great-Nandad, so once again they chose Nandy and Grandy.
I feel sure the grandparents and great-grandparents of today would agree that some of the children of today need the proverbial boot for their bad language, bad manners and disrespect. But for calling Mam Mum? Never! That is childish – to say the least.
A Loving Mum,
Chapelgarth,
Sunderland

Swamped in soaps
IN reply to soap fanatic George E Brown, whose advice is that we all should watch Emmerdale, I am astonished that a man and a writer of this calibre should offer such words of nonsense.
Just what will anyone learn from any TV soap? Being of above average intelligence, I never watch them, as I believe these programmes make you brain-dead and offer nothing to stimulate the mind.
I hear people discussing the previous night's episode as if it was real life.
I would ban all soaps and alter the TV format completely. There is not enough sport on mainstream TV – definitely not enough football and snooker. I and many other fans would like to see more soccer on the box, with live games on ITV at least twice a week.
They should also bring westerns back. Shows like Rawhide, Bonanza and The Rifleman were always popular. The hero was always a good guy with high morals; justice always won in the end.
It's just not on paying for a TV licence and being swamped in soaps.
Mick "The Pen" Brown

Heartfelt thanks
COULD I please take this opportunity to send out a great big and heartfelt "thank you" to all at the Jolly Potter, South Hylton, for raising another staggering £1,545 for Peter's Trust Fund.
This amazing amount was raised after the Potter emptied their penny bottle, which held more than £500. They also held a fund-raising night, which was a great success.
Special thanks to my dear friends Anne and Els for all their help and commitment to Peter's Fund and of course all their generous customers, friends and family. Your support is so much appreciated.
As you all know by now, Peter's Fund has taken on a new venture and we are now supporting the Variety Club. We are aiming to raise £17,500 to sponsor a Sunshine Coach, which will be donated to a school or hospice or centre working with sick, disabled or disadvantaged children. Peter's name will be displayed on the coach.
Julie Reay,
Roker Avenue,
Sunderland

Make dads pay
I AM writing in connection with your advertisement about the Child Support Agency. I am a divorced single mother to a little boy. I have had very little money from the CSA due to the fact they are unable to catch my ex-husband. I received £25 in 2005 due to the fact that he was on state benefits.
The CSA have now, at last, done an interim assessment and he has failed to pay that as well. He does not answer their letters or calls.
They now say that they will be enforcing debt management to recover payments and could eventually go through the courts for payment or penalty. I will believe it when it happens.
Years ago, if you didn't pay child maintenance you went to jail for 28 days. This should be an automatic thing now.
An Angry Mother

Campaign to chip pets
I AM writing to you in the hope that the people of Sunderland will support my campaign to get all dogs and cats microchipped.
I have got together with the charity Animal Crackers, of Grangetown, in the hope that we can make it law to have every dog and cat microchipped.
I have started this campaign because of my cat Nessie who was ripped apart in my own garden by two lurcher dogs (as reported on April 24 by the Echo).
I sincerely believe that if every dog and cat were to be microchipped it would help the police, plus the local dog warden, to find lost animals and to find owners that let their dogs run wild in our streets.
I am not against the good people of Sunderland who are pet lovers. I just feel that if these animals were microchipped the streets would be a safer place to live and hopefully stop other dogs from attacking pets and people.
I have the support of six local vets plus kennels and the RSPCA and the local dog warden.
Scott Andrews,
Wilkinson Terrace,
Ryhope,
Sunderland.

Find work for young idle hands
IT is with despair I am writing this letter. At 66 years old and a resident of Sunderland all my life, I can't help but notice the deterioration of the youth within our community, indeed within society of today, which is being neglected.
On April 22, 2008, I was involved in an incident when I was driving home from the local supermarket at 8.15pm. As I approached the top end of Silksworth Lane, which runs parallel with the back lane of the Aged Miners' Homes, four youths were messing about on spare ground at Newport.
I spotted them immediately I turned the first roundabout and sensed they were potentially trouble.
Within seconds the tallest of the group who looked around 16 or 17 years of age picked up a stone and flung it fearsomely on to the main road where I was travelling.
I instantly thought it would hit the car in front of me. However, without warning, I heard an enormous thump on my car and I then knew it was my car that had been in the firing line.
I nervously carried on with my journey knowing full well when I eventually got out to examine the damage it would be considerable. I saw the youths run away towards Newport Grove bus stop.
When I reached home I was trembling with the shock and upon checking the car for damage found a big dent in the offside driver's wing adjacent to the front window.
If the stone, which must have been some size to cause the enormous imprint, had been inches further over towards the windscreen, I would have undoubtedly had a shattered windscreen and possibly a major accident which could have cost me my life and, although reporting it to the police, was told it was recorded as a criminal offence but the chance of any justice was zilch.
They had sent officers to the area after my call, but hadn't found anyone. I was furious, this being the reason I am now putting pen to paper.
I now have the expense of a £200 excess charge to pay on the repair due to a criminal offence against me and being a pensioner on a low, fixed income I will find this a struggle to find and the authorities say they are unable to help.
I'm sick and tired of the uncontrollable youths who are getting away with this kind of thing. There are incidents reported in the papers on a daily basis. When is the Government going to address this nightmare problem?
Every initiative brought in fails miserably through lack of a basic understanding of why these children do this.
I feel very strongly about the way our society is heading in the wrong direction and, as the police confirmed, their powers are limited in this area, often recording crimes for statistics.
We need to look back in time for the answer to this very serious problem.
Up until three or four generations ago most children left school at 15 years of age to work. This left them no free time to cause trouble and in some cases they were only 14 years old, as my father was. He went down the mines.
Although I'm not condoning this ethic I most certainly feel therein lies a possible solution. If these kids want to work why not give them this option by providing a paid facility.
Children nowadays are forced to stay on at school until at least 16 years of age, shortly to be 17, many of them extremely unhappy about it, knowing, even at this young age, education is not for them, after all we can't all be academics.
Why on earth don't we allow these children the option of leaving school at 14 or 15 years old providing they take up an apprenticeship which could be supplied for them in special colleges?
They could learn a trade, ie plumbing, electrical engineering, building or whatever, after which they would have a qualification and go straight on to employment or, even better still, set up a business of their own.
Surely this is worth investigating as we are forever being told we have a shortage of skilled tradesmen. What better than to tap into this vast pool of youth who, I'm sure, are not all rotten, but lack guidance and concern.
A. Polkinghorn,
Vicarage Close,
Silksworth,
Sunderland

Pensioner's plea
WILL the bus company please tell Tyne and Wear old age pensioners why we cannot use our bus passes before 9.30am when Durham OAPs can start at 7.30pm.
I thought we were all the same when the new passes started in April.
We all want to go out early in the summer months.
G. Sykes,
Railway Terrace,
Penshaw

Galleries delight
DEAR Angry from Plains Farm, I too am a disabled driver and agree with everything you say in your letter to the Echo April 29.
I have found that since The Galleries Shopping Centre at Washington have introduced their car park management, I can always get a space. I find it so much easier knowing I can pull up and park in a disabled bay immediately outside either of The Galleries supermarkets with no hassle.
I would suggest you give The Galleries a try!
Happy Galleries Shopper,
Houghton.

Appeal to help babies with plagiocephaly
WHEN is the NHS going to admit that there is a growing problem with babies and plagiocephaly?
My son had this condition and had to wear a cranial adjustment helmet for 17 weeks at a cost of nearly £2,000, which had to be paid by ourselves.
It was hard enough to find out that your child needed this treatment, but harder again to find out that treatment is not on the NHS.
So you then have the added worry not only have you to find this money before treatment can start, but if like us the worry of how you are going to repay the debt that you have had to get.
My son's head is wonderful now the treatment has finished, but he has to go without treats as there is no spare money to take him on days out because spare cash goes on paying off the credit card we got to pay for the treatment.
The treatment was worth every penny, and we are pleased with the shape of his head now and we thank Steve and Sandy from Technology in Motion with all our hearts.
Catherine O'Neill

Insult to injury
IT is an absolute insult to the staff of City Hospitals Sunderland that the management has hired a private theatre and ward, less than a year after they hired a professional auditor Price Waterhouse who ordered and recommmened axing staff to cut staffing levels.
Staff faced almost a year fearing redundancy and redepoyment, yet we hire a private firm to operate on the Sunderland public while we have three new theatres mothballed and have lost almost 19 qualified theatre staff due to management.
To add injury to the insult this mobile theatre has taken over 50 vital parking places, making limited parking facilities on the hospital site even more difficult for staff and visitors alike.
Local residents have a right to know why their homes and privacy are being invaded due to the management of City Hospitals Sunderland. I feel the whole of the executive board should hang their heads in shame.
Shame on you Mr Bremner and Co.
Name and address supplied.