School dinners, science teaching and Teach First in primaries?
School dinners
I remember school dinners with a sickening feeling (Goodbye, Mr Chips, 10 August). Cutting them back was a humane, enlightened policy. Schools are not prisons. Pupils forbidden to go out at lunchtime should have every right to do exactly that. As a lifelong fatty, I hold that freedom of choice is more important than any other consideration.
Mark Taha
London
• It is not schools' responsibility what children choose to eat; it is parents'. Of course, a healthy lunch should be offered, but if children ignore it and run out to a burger van, then that's their choice. Do you honestly think teachers have time to police what children eat? Teachers have far too much to do already and for far too little pay.
aims22 via Educationguardian.co.uk
• Why don't schools ban pupils from leaving the site at lunch?
misty1515 via Educationguardian.co.uk
CSI science
It's a shame that outside bodies have to get involved in the promotion of science (Murder most interesting, 10 August); secondary schools have laboratories that are perfectly equipped to do this. I am a science graduate and feel it is a real shame that children are turning their backs on science. I think the reason for this is the pathetic state of our science GCSE. The year 10 modules are multiple choice; the year 11 exams require answers that are two sentences long. The practical component is devalued – I know of pupils who only do practicals if they are assessed for their coursework.
beefsteak via Educationguardian.co.uk
• There are very few jobs on offer in forensic science - Midsomer Murders is only a TV programme. If only they could find a way to make mainstream science seem so attractive. Doing a science degree requires a certain amount of faith that opportunities for jobs will happen in the future, but such an ideal seems useless if there is no prospect of a job after all that effort.
ergonaut via Educationguardian.co.uk
Teach First
I'm deputy head in inner London and have grave misgivings about expanding Teach First into the primary sector (On Teaching, 10 August). I have a history degree from Cambridge, but this is of very little use in a primary school setting – especially teaching Early Years (which requires specialist knowledge of early childhood development).
LondonNell via Educationguardian.co.uk