HAVING previously been a primary school governor, I do not subscribe to the view that teachers have a cushy number with the luxury of 13 weeks holiday etc.

I know many work 12-hour days and come in to school in the holidays, as well as taking work home.

The inset days, that parents find so annoying, are needed to get through the wealth of directives from the government concerning the curriculum and health and safety matters and child protection to name a few.

They also have ever more challenging children, and parents, to deal with, with decreasing classroom support as the purse strings tighten. The majority are dedicated and work really hard for the benefit of our children. However, I do think they need to take a long hard look at how justified their strike was. Everyone is having to work longer, pay more for their pensions and can expect to get less in retirement.

This country simply cannot afford the cost of its ageing population who are living so much longer.

There aren’t going to be enough people of working age paying tax and national insurance to fund pensions under the current arrangements.

What do teachers, and other public sector workers, expect the government to do, exactly? We all need to accept that things have to change. It may not be good news, but we really don’t have a choice.

MRS D K DOWSETT, Capstone Road, Bournemouth