The minister who has been at odds with the teaching profession from day one has not only upset many with his calls for a return to more traditional styles of delivery and examination. Those with long enough memories and who have been in the profession since the 80s will know that much of what he argues against were the brainshild of his own Conservative party. Grade inflation began in the mid-80s with the abandonment of bell curve banding and one size fits all education system that came on with the National Curriculum in 1987. Indeed the charges often leveled at Tony Blair that he was responsible for so many more people going to university is also bogus as the de-regulation of the universities, which meant a trebling of places over night occurred under John Major's Conservative government in 1992.

In short education should not be used as a political football to advance individual ambitions as it is far too important for that and instead of constantly attacking teachers we should be getting behind them and the vital job they do.