As a former pupil of an excellent York school, with respected teachers and a formidable headmistress, I’ve always looked back on my days there with pleasure and gratitude.

Not having close contact with the situation in schools today, I was therefore shocked and saddened to see the stress faced by teachers today in the BBC Two series School recently. Perhaps this example was an extreme case, and York schools fare better, but I suspect they all face similar issues.

Sympathy obviously goes to the students when standards and staff are under increasing pressure, with so much emphasis placed on exam results, and increasing business management.

Surely the key to this challenging situation is to support and respect teaching staff.

As always, finance will be cited as the reason for lack of support, but without an adequate supply of teachers we are failing the next generation, and consequently we all suffer.

Dorothy Reed,

Dringhouses, York