Teachers must look to the future, even if they don’t like the present

WHENEVER a no-hoper on Joe Duffy’s radio programme warbles about some issue not germane to Joe’s oh-so-casually-suggested agenda, Joe tips the warbler straight into an electronic waste-disposer: warm thanks, bye now and hello to Eleanor on line three.

Joe doesn't have that device handy at the 'town hall' sessions he's currently chairing for the Department of Education, but judging from the first outing last week he's likely to face individuals from some teachers unions using the occasion to say the minister should sort today's problems rather than looking ten years down the road.

I hope I'm wrong. None of the great teachers I've known would want to stop people thinking about tomorrow. It doesn't make sense.