I HAD to give a wry smile when I read about the “pioneering” form of outdoor education (Echo, Nov 17). Back in the 1970s my fellow teachers and I spent hours of our own time walking and climbing with pupils in the “wilderness” of the North York Moors.

We did so to help them develop into responsible, caring and sharing adults.

Durham County Council had an excellent outdoor activity centre on Ullswater.

One boy in particular remains in my memory. He was neither academic nor sporty. However he was outstanding at rock climbing.

The realisation that he was good at something, after all the failure, changed his whole attitude to life.

Sadly teaching is now focused on training children to tick the right boxes in answer to set questions, all in order to grade the school on meaningless league tables – a school is not a football club!

No wonder the government has problems recruiting and retaining teachers.

I cringe when I see their adverts on TV. Yes, as the adverts show, teaching could and can be a wonderfully rewarding profession – if the politicians kept their hands off it and left it to the teachers.

Bill Bartle, Barnard Castle