SIR – Yet again the headteacher of Christopher Whitehead School, Neil Morris, has decided that he cannot keep his opinions to himself regarding education policy but feels the need to try to rally popular support without considering the message this actually sends to his staff and pupils.

In so doing he has, in my opinion, proved himself unfit to hold his privileged position within our community. If as a manager I had a disagreement with my superiors regarding policy, I expressed my views with them in private and did not make them public. The reason?

As an employee, even if I disagreed with policy I still had to implement it and making my views public would undermine my credibility and authority.

If I disagreed to the point where it became a matter of principle and was unable to convince others of my point of view, I could (and should) resign. Mr Gove is Mr Morris’s ultimate boss and, like or not, he is obliged to do what Mr Gove and the Government who were democratically elected by the people of this country wants. The tail does not wag the dog. In my opinion, Mr Morris should seriously consider his position – St John’s needs a school and headteacher committed to the best education they can give under whatever framework they are required to operate in and not a loose cannon on the deck given to crying to the Press every time there is a change proposed or implemented to attempt to raise the standards of education in this country.

If he cannot work in the current environment, then he should step aside.

Mr Morris ignores the one obvious fact that the primary purpose of education is to provide a competitive work force and at present, due to the failings of the comprehensive system, we are falling further and further behind our main competitors in the world.

TIM PALMER

Worcester