SIR – I was appalled by Sir Michael Wilshaw’s comments that teachers exaggerate the ‘stress’ they suffer through their workload.

I wonder if he would like to be in charge of a dozen-or-two children every weekday for seven or eight hours; being at the mercy of the often extravagant criticism of school governors, parents, the general public and it seems MPs; hours spent at home and in ‘holidays’ preparing and marking; not to mention extracurricular activities in the evening and at weekends and, again in ‘holidays’.

Amid all this criticism and lack of respect, they have to actually try and teach children, and perhaps imbue them with a love of learning – not easy – and definitely beyond being ‘a bit stressful’.

Perhaps, as I saw in a telling cartoon recently, he will write a few hundred lines – ‘I promise I will listen to teachers, etc’.

Then perhaps if he does, the rest of the population will follow suit… just perhaps.

GILL HAYWARD

Worcester