A leading headteacher from North Yorkshire today called for political dogma to be taken out of education.

Sue Sayles, who takes over tonight as president of the National Association of Headteachers, said teachers, civil servants and politicians had to work together to "save the teaching profession".

Mrs Sayles, headteacher at Riccall Community Primary School, near Selby, will make her first speech as president at the association's annual conference at Harrogate tonight.

She said today: "I want to make a difference. If I do anything this year I want to work together with all stakeholders to save the teaching profession.

"We have to do something now about looking at workload and what support staff could do and what will make graduates and returners come to the profession."

In an interview with the Evening Press she said the stress of testing and meeting league table targets were affecting teachers, children and their parents alike.

She said she would tell the conference tonight that children were being treated as "target fodder".

"I'm going to be speaking out to whoever is the newly-elected government. Whoever gets elected would be really foolish if they didn't slow down and take stock of where they are and see how we can move on together."

She said she would even be calling for education to be taken out of politics.

"Why not have education run by a select committee, a group who would draw in experience from all places, rather than political parties? Political dogma is spoiling education." The opening ceremony of the conference this evening at Harrogate International Centre is set to be a thoroughly North Yorkshire affair. Mrs Sayles will be joined by Phil Willis, Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat candidate and spokesman on education, and Cynthia Welbourn, education director at North Yorkshire County Council.

Updated: 10:35 Tuesday, May 29, 2001