28/04/04

Beginning the school day with assembly has always been an important part of school life, setting the tone and mood for the day, if done correctly and worshipfully.

Mr Bell says that with busy timetables it is not always convenient to hold assemblies every day. School timetables have always been busy. It has never before prevented a short act of Christian worship to be included.

One can only suspect that besides trying to dismiss or at least downgrade Christian worship in schools, Mr Bell's remarks include another agenda. He says (Echo, Apr 22) that changing the law would open the door to Islamic assemblies.

The 1944 Education Act did assume Christianity would be synonymous with the daily act of worship, rightly so, especially as this country is a Christian country. Why shouldn't our children learn to worship their God?

Christian foundation schools are becoming increasingly popular, over-subscribed in many areas. This is an indication of what many parents want for their children: a school with a Christian ethos. Let us retain daily school assembly as a Christian act of worship. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

I AM absolutely appalled to read (Echo, Apr 22) that David Bell, England's chief education officer, states that schools should no longer be required by law to hold a daily act of worship.

Also, that instead of the law requiring that worship should be wholly or mainly Christian, it should be left to schools to decide the content of their sessions.

I would say to Mr Bell that our education system, our laws, our Government, our health services were brought into being by Christian men and women, based on our Christian heritage and on the word of God.

Our education system was ordained throughout the world because of its Christian foundations.

Our children need to be taught about their Christian heritage, not weekly or monthly but every day. They need a solid foundation on which to build their lives. Take your hands off our school assemblies, Mr Bell. - Mrs P Springer, Hartlepool.

PENSIONS

IN reply to William Fisher (HAS, Apr 21), I would like to point out that most of the people living on the state pension that he refers to in his letter did contribute to a pension scheme while they were employed.

I believe this was called National Insurance and earlier contributors were assured that this would cope with all their retirement needs. Such is progress that this is now referred to as a State Handout.

I hope that Mr Fisher continues to enjoy full employment and that he is never called upon to go to war. - E Cox, Newton Aycliffe.

WILLIAM Fisher (HAS, Apr 21) is perhaps related to an MP, otherwise how can anybody defend a group which can vote themselves a pension which is guaranteed and inflation proofed but which is paid for in its entirety by other people?

After all, a Member of Parliament is hardly a producer of monies for GB Ltd is he? He or she may make contributions from their own salary, but that salary is provided by the very people who pay the employer's contributions as well.

The pension claimed by an MP after less than a full career would require a pension pot of more than £500,000 if they were to be in the private sector.

Bearing in mind that the entry qualifications for an MP are nil, I would consider that they are overpaid and that there are far too many of them, and the problem will only be made worse if we have to support another load of jobsworths and time servers if the regional assemblies are ever put in place. - Dennis Clark, Billingham.

DOG DIRT

HOW sad that Mr Ruck (Echo, Apr 22) has been castigated for displaying a sign including a naughty word.

How can anyone take exception to such words when we hear the same word and far worse on our televisions every day, not to mention the contents of some soap programmes being shown during early evening viewing?

If the police are to be involved in how certain words are to be used then maybe their time would be better spent speaking to the television companies.

Those who complained about the sign should thank Mr Ruck for trying to keep the lane free from the named substance which at present the little child has to tread in daily. - Jim Rishworth, Darlington.

Teesside AIRPORT

JAMES A Cowan from Durham (HAS, Apr 20) would like Teesside Airport to be renamed Durham-James Cook Airport. Why ?

The airport is 24 miles south from the small city of Durham. It should be left to the people of Darlington and Stockton to say whether or not their local airport's name should be changed.

If it is to change its name, against the wishes of the local community, then I recommend Darlington-Tees Valley.

Darlington is the airport's nearest town, and it also lies in the Tees Valley which Darlington is a proud member of.

Mr Cowan must be wanting to raise the profile of Durham, as there is nothing up there apart from the cathedral and a small number of drinking haunts for its visiting students. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

RON ATKINSON

RON Atkinson is not a racist nor does he deserve public vilification or sacking from his job.

He is a decent man who, in an unguarded moment, made an ill-judged comment when he thought he was off the air.

If we were all subject to scrutiny in regard to what we say in similar circumstances, we would none of us emerge squeaky clean.

However, we now live in a country where extreme political correctness prevails over every other consideration, including common sense and where anti-social behaviour of the most destructive and harrowing kind is tolerated on a matter of fact basis, but where people are hounded for what they say in private. There are sinister undertones to this - a point which should not need labouring.

Not that I regard racism as anything other than vile and abhorrent, but let us not forget, there are also white - and black - victims of black racism. You do not have to look as far afield as Rwanda and Zimbabwe to see examples of that. - T Kelly, Crook.

ID CARDS

I AM convinced we need identity cards because of the unknown number of illegal immigrants being smuggled into Britain by organised criminals.

It is a way of checking how many are coming in. And yes, we know they can probably be forged, but forgeries can be checked.

I think that people would be concerned at the increase in our population over the past few years and it puts a strain on social services, hospitals, housing, water supply etc. - F Atkinson, Shincliffe.