In it, head teacher Sylvia Moore vowed never to have any in her school again.

It prompted a range of views. Here is a selection. (Glossary note: NQT = newly-qualified teacher).

I find Sylvia Moore's comments as stated in your report quite shocking. If one of her pupils issued blanket statements like that I hope they would be spoken to about labelling all people with the same brush. I am sorry Ms Moore had a bad experience with some of her supply staff and as a supply teacher myself I have seen some bad practice amongst my colleagues - just as I have seen some bad practice amongst full time employed teachers.

The point about the teacher who spent the whole term knitting raises a question, however: What sort of supervision was that teacher's line manager giving?

Many supply teachers I have come across are hard working and dedicated, like myself they became supply teachers not because they did not like teaching but because they became sick of the paperwork and administration.
Clayton Owen, Barnsley South Yorkshire

As a head teacher, I have employed a large number of supply teachers during the past nine years. The vast majority are truly terrible, on supply because they cannot get permanent jobs (and you can see why when they work in your school!). The few that are any good are snapped up for permanent posts very quickly, so the pool remains of very poor quality.
Liz, Manchester, UK

I was a primary supply teacher and was more disgusted by the schools! Where was the guidance about what was to be taught? My agency also offered little (if any) guidance or help. It was only better when I arranged work directly with schools.
Dan Cox, Rushden, UK

I have been a supply teacher and it is not easy, but as a former teacher and as a parent I would say a fully qualified teacher is 100% more valuable in the classroom, even if only on supply, than the unqualified cover supervisors that are being employed in my area at a salary of roughly two thirds that of a newly qualified, properly trained graduate teacher.
R Nichols, Gt Yarmouth

They are a nightmare. The reason that most are supply teachers is that they can't hack it in the classroom. Learning support assistants are much better at doing this job.
Robert Thomas

I am a supply teacher. So far this term I have worked at three schools and my experience in them has been fairly typical of doing "supply." In only one of the three have I had class lists and information about the school's behaviour policy. In the other two, I arrived, was handed a single A4 sheet with my schedule for the day. No information pack, no class lists and no information about who to contact if problems arose.

Most supply teachers whom I meet as I do the rounds of my area are doing their best in very difficult situations. Most of us carry a briefcase full of worksheets so that we have something to offer when no work is set or can be obtained.
Anna, Warwick, UK

I have been teaching for 17 years. Two of those years were as a substitute teacher (our equivalent of a supply teacher). There are many challenges a supply teacher has to face that a regular classroom teacher is free of. A supply teacher walks into the unknown every day and then walks away, maybe never to be seen again, at the end of the day. They do not provide their own lessons, make sure all of the materials are ready and prepped and have to be able to respond quickly to a wide variety of classroom settings and teaching styles. They have no time to build rapport with students and in most cases there is no long-term commitment to a particular child's success. In many respects it is a completely different career choice than teaching. Not all supply teachers make good teachers and not all teachers make good supply teachers. As for me, I say give me my own classroom any day of the week. Supply teaching is not for me.
Kiki, San Francisco, United States

I worked for a teacher supply agency for just over a year and can tell you that supply teachers are a mixed bag. I am Post-16 qualified and do not have Qualified Teacher Status: I had what was known as instructor status and received about half the pay of qualified staff. Some supply teachers I met were useless incompetents and how they got into teaching was beyond my comprehension; others were of a high standard. I was told a number of times by pupils and teaching assistants, that I was better than many other supply teachers, who would just sit in the class and neither introduce themselves to students nor offer any help to students with their work. Some were wholly incapable of conducting a lesson. I am afraid that many of the criticisms you have reported in your article are a very accurate description of many supply teachers.
Graeme, Canterbury

I don't agree that all supply agencies necessarily train their teachers before they are sent to work at a school but rather make an informed decision with the information that they have. Realistically, schools having to recruit supply teachers for merely the odd day here and there will need to acknowledge that teaching may not quite be up to scratch. Those best informed and those we should be listening to are those who have worked supply and full-time at a school.
Paul Hillier, Cambridgeshire

I am currently teaching in the United States, and here supply teachers can be parents or anybody else that wants to teach for a day or two. No qualifications are needed either. In England I did supply work and I was usually put in difficult schools with difficult and unruly pupils. Supply teaching is very difficult and I respect anyone who will turn up and face a class of students they know nothing about with generally poor lesson plans left for them.
Craig Moore, Hickory, North Carolina

I qualified in July and I an very eager to get my own class and start teaching. However I am unable to find a permanent post in my area. I have children of my own settled in their schools, so moving to another area is out of the question. I am very committed to teaching and get a great buzz each day. If I do not do supply teaching and sit around waiting for a post to come my way then all my training was for nothing. Until I can get a full-time post I will continue supply teaching.
Josie, Kingston upon Hull, Humberside

Yes, some supply teachers knit - nothing new - I can remember it from 30-odd years ago when I was at school and 20-odd years ago when I started out in teaching. I don't see it now - but then I'm busy being a non-knitting supply teacher! And I get asked back to school after school - probably not a coincidence. I have done longer term supply - but only in schools that had had a chance to see me teach, more than many schools see when they appoint on a permanent basis. It is positive that heads have a choice of routes - learning supervisors can be better than a qualified but uninterested teacher. As a parent, though, I would be happier with my children having a qualified teacher to cover any unplanned long term absences especially on GCSE, AS and A-level classes.
Diana Bruce, Derby, England

After qualifying from university with a Bachelor of Education degree in PE teaching last year, I started a term in a school doing supply to cover a teacher on maternity leave. Whilst at the school, I not only put in considerable (unpaid) hours within the PE department, I also set up schemes of work for citizenship - helping with the pastoral side of the school. I organised a county trampolining competition - the first to be held - and hosted several tournaments, often not getting home before 7pm. Teaching is a profession that I am passionate about - as much as I appreciate that a lot of supply teachers are not consistent, do not have clear expectations and are not adaptable to the different policies in different schools - not all supply teachers are uncommitted with no classroom management skills - just as not all teachers demonstrate the capability to control a class or to stay beyond the bell at home time!
Sarah Irwin, Haverhill, Suffolk (previously in Peterborough)

When my daughter was in Year 3 she had 17 different supply teachers in a year. What a complete disaster, we got to the point where she was just completely demotivated and didn't want to go to school any more. Behaviour deteriorated and previously well-behaved children ran riot. Schools need access to a pool of well-trained teachers that can fill in when the usual teacher is unavailable, perhaps groups of schools could share the resource. Much better to have a resource that you can invest in, train and manage properly than what amounts to a temp with little to gain or lose from good or bad performance.
Jan, Hertford, Herts

I worked as a supply teacher between other jobs during the 1980's and early 1990's. I now work in the FE sector. Generally I enjoyed supply teaching but a few points stand out. Supply teachers inevitably end up being heavily used in schools that are doing badly. One indicator that could be used to spot problems in schools could be how reliant they are on supply teachers.

The best occasions were when the teacher had knew they were going to be away and had left lesson plans etc so it was clear what was expected and the supply received a clear briefing upon arrival about school practices and procedures and was then introduced to the class. Some schools and classes were a real pleasure to return to over and over again.

At worst I've been called to a school at short notice - if a staff member rings in sick then head teachers usually ring those on their supply list between 8am and 9am to see if anyone's available and willing - to find that the usual teacher is off with 'stress' (itself a bad sign), that I was the ninth supply teacher that term and that no work had been prepared for the class.

On one occasion in secondary school I was told the school had to have an adult in the class and I was just to do "the best you can with them - let them read magazines, it'll keep them quiet." ... In schools the heads I encountered seemed to have given up the struggle and simply wanted to keep things running until they could bow out. I do believe that the leadership of a school is crucial to its success, but that government shouldn't underestimate the job, or time and resources required to "turn round" a failing school.
Tim Dennell, Sheffield UK

This article really comes as a surprise to me. My wife has been working as a supply teacher for some time now because she has not been able to secure a regular job. I have seen very few people as committed as her and she does it only because she loves teaching. She goes to work early, sometimes at a moments notice, comes home late after correcting all the class work and works during weekends to prepare for "would be" classes. The only thing that motivates her are the children and perhaps a few caring words from her colleagues. There is no career, no recognition here. I wouldn't be able to take it if I were in her place.
Raj, Oxfordshire

I am a supply teacher and see it as a valid career choice, just as some doctors and nurses do locum/agency work. Many supply teachers have the same qualifications as permanent teachers and the same commitment to education. I personally prefer to keep my working life interesting and flexible rather than tying myself down to one school. This does not come at the expense of the student's education and I know I am a valued member of staff wherever I teach.
matt, london

It is almost impossible to predict in some cases when a supply teacher will be needed so in some cases they can hardly be expected to be left work. As an ex supply teacher I would never have ventured into a classroom without some tasks to get everyone working and getting on with some learning. When I was a full-time teacher I saw many of the knitters and paper readers with classes climbing the walls but I also met some inspiring teachers who fleetingly pass through as supply. It is a clich�, but usually Australian or New Zealanders, they usually came ready for anything, extremely professional and committed to the children and teaching profession. I certainly think that the agencies need looking into since the few supply teachers who are not up to the role should certainly be taken out of the system.
Angela, Watford

I am a student and in my last school a third of the teaching staff were off long term for one reason or another and quite frankly the supply teachers they got were terrible. They didn't care if no-one respected them or if anyone did any work, they were just acting as babysitters. I have only ever had one brilliant substitute teacher who has kept control of class, the rest just don't care.
David Bradley, Yorkshire

If you get a good supply teacher they are worth their weight in gold. These day supply teachers who sit and read the paper whilst the class riots are an exception as expectations are much higher. However, students often have very negative attitudes to supply teachers ("are you a real teacher?") and if they come into a school where there are staffing problems already the "dice" are already loaded against them and it is an up hill struggle to get students respect and attention.
Ian Poole, Esher, Surrey

I am forced to work as a supply teacher because most of the vacancies for ordinary teachers go to NQTs because they are cheaper. I ensure the work is done, keep control of the classroom and follow up any misbehaviour according to the school's disciple plan. I have had no work yet this term and am appalled at this head's attitude. Work is increasingly difficult to find because of the existence of cover supervisors - unqualified people who take the class when the teacher is absent.
Lindsay Freeman, Seaford

I am a full-time teacher at a "challenging" school in London. I can say without a doubt that supply teachers are invaluable in providing day-to-day education for pupils in schools. Without them, schools would be teaching huge classes or sending kids home on a daily basis.

I fear that Ms Moore is more interested in cutting costs than in providing quality supply provision for pupils. The NUT [National Union of Teachers] has long predicted that classes of children would be supervised by unqualified casual staff as a result of the workload agreement between the government and all teaching unions bar the NUT. Cover supervisors, paraprofessionals, whatever you want to call them, they are still not qualified to teach classes.

The real problem with provision of supply cover is the fact that local authorities have generally abandoned the notion of having a pool of supply teachers in their areas. Instead, casual staff are hired on a daily basis from agencies more interested in the quality of their profits than they are in the quality of education in schools.
Jamie Parkinson, London, UK

This is blatant propaganda. I am a supply teacher and the vast majority are extremely hardworking. Is it a coincidence that this story appears when hundreds of schools have just started using unqualified people to teach children? I think most parents would be horrified to know that their children are not being taught by a proper teacher but most are totally unaware.
Darran Slator, Bradford, UK

As a supply teacher I have completed my NQT year supervised by a head teacher and a very nice AST [advanced skills teacher]. I passed with flying colours and feel that I am as qualified as any other teacher in the profession. I completed my first year as a "proper" teacher also on supply, though it was a long-term contract, in a difficult class. In the three years I have been in the profession I have been on supply, not through choice, I am just very bad at interviews! I have met some very nice staff and pupils but I have also suffered because some staff see supply teachers as second class teachers and they talk about "supplies" in this way in front of the children. This attitude then spreads itself to the children and they start off lacking any respect for the supply teacher.

My answer to this attitude is, I may be on supply but I am a teacher. I take pride in keeping up with the changes in education and my supply agency, Rochdale and Oldham, provide courses for all teachers, supply or otherwise. I think that schools need to take each supply teacher as they are, there are good and bad as there are good and bad full time teachers, and stop treating us as if we are just babysitters and second class teachers. I for one dread going to new schools and invariably leave feeling demoralised and used.
Fiona Render, Rochdale, UK

Like any new job the first few days are bewildering and stressful. Unfortunately for supply teachers by the time they have learnt their way around and 500 new students names they are off to another school to start from scratch all over again. The key is for schools to build up a regular group of supply - and always try to provide them work and to treat them as one of the full time staff. This works well in the school I work in and as a result both students and supply staff benefit.
Juliet O'Callaghan, Bedfordshire

I'm a supply teacher - and it is probably the hardest way to make a living in the education sector today. Walking into an unknown school, into an unknown class and not knowing what planning or work or behaviour problems are ahead of you - it's not an easy way to make a living, and I definitely would never be stood outside a classroom talking on a phone.

There are good and bad in anything, but don't tar an entire branch of a profession with the same brush. I have close links with a number of my regular schools who know me and how I work, and I know them and the children... the "Hello Miss X are you teaching our class today" as I walk from the car park to the school door is what keeps me going doing the job.
FM, Nottingham, UK

I worked as a supply teacher for two years in Southend on Sea from 2001 to 2003, mainly to escape the mind numbing bureaucracy and constant media carping about education. I approached local schools and developed a very good relationship with two local primaries, where I acted as their in house supply. I was treated as a full member of staff in both schools, was included in INSET [training] and never regretted my move from "normal" classroom teaching. It worries me that heads are deciding that their pupils do not deserve the expertise and huge adaptability of the thousands of excellent, but expensive, qualified teachers to cover their classes.
Debbie Clarke, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

I arrived from Australia in the UK eight years ago and worked as a supply teacher. I was told you must mark all work and provide lesson feedback notes for the class teacher. Now I work as a deputy head teacher in East London and when we reluctantly have to engage a supply teacher I find that about 65-75% of the time I am given a teacher not trained for the year group and also unwilling to provide any of their own lessons ideas or unwilling to complete marking.

We try to avoid using any supply teachers as over the last five years that I have been responsible for them the quality of teaching provided has continually got worse. Thank goodness we now have Higher Level Teacher Assistants. It is a shame we can't pay these staff more as they are always better than a supply teacher.
Dave, East London UK

Supply teachers are a godsend - even if they can't teach a lesson they are there keeping an eye on pupils who would otherwise run riot! They do an important job in sometimes extreme situations. Who else would go to a school and a class of 30+ pupils and be expected to be perfect in a lesson where they don't know strengths/weaknesses???
R Payne, Portsmouth, England

Supply teachers are an essential part of the education system in the UK; without them the system would collapse. Unfortunately in my experience schools that rely heavily on supply teachers are actually those in dire need of help/reform due to behaviour and school ethos issues. I would be covering for the teacher who simply cannot take the stress and problems within the school and is off sick. Perhaps the best way, is schools having a 'trusted' bank of supply staff from an agency and these supply teachers are used on a regular basis they know and understand the school and are able and trusted to contribute to the teaching and learning within the school.
David Flanighan, Kent

I am a supply teacher. Here in BC Canada. Our supply (TOCs - teachers on call) have the same qualifications as full contract teachers. We are very professional and are held to the same if not higher standards as the regular classroom teacher. In fact we possess skills that the regular teacher does not, for example I supply teach grades K-12, and each day find myself in a different class dealing with new circumstances. Having the ability to cover such a wide range of students comes with very extensive training and support by our school district. Not that we do not have some individuals as described in your article, however it sounds like your director of supply teachers is not doing a very good job of training and supervising your supply teachers. Supply teachers here are viewed as professionals equal to the regular classroom teacher(colleagues). In fact the only real difference is that I have short term (daily) contracts as opposed to yearly.
Bill Storness-Bliss, Burns Lake, BC, Canada

As an NQT I found myself unemployed last year and had no choice but to work as a supply teacher. I found that the experience enhanced my classroom management skills so that now I have secured a job I can actually concentrate on teaching. I do believe there are teachers out there on supply because it is perceived as an easy life. You roll in at 8.45 and back out at 3.15. You've got no responsibilities to the kids you've taught and no planning to do. However, I do not feel that this is the case. I treated every supply job as an interview day, this was to make sure I would be welcomed back to the school. What really annoys me is how the bad supply teachers have ruined it for the good ones, and there are many of us.

Supply teachers are necessary and I believe more should be done to support them and provide them with the same training opportunities as employed teachers without them having to take a cut in earnings to participate in such events.
Nicola Price, Clitheroe, Lancashire

I worked as a supply for the first year of coming to the UK. I am now a senior teacher considered to have excellent results. When I worked in supply, control was always the issue. I had never seen schools as bad as I saw in London. Kids were out of control, briefing of cover was minimal, the children were wound up when you arrived as they knew they had supply, and one deputy as a well known school said, "If they want to crawl out windows, let them." I saw a side of life I would rather not repeat, and this was with being considered very good at the job! Worst of all, schools took no action against offending children as they did not wish to upset parents etc. when you were only going to be there one or two days. Why do you think the majority of supply are from abroad?
Maree, Southend, England

I'm a standard scale classroom teacher, and have been for nine years. We have supply in quite a lot where i work. Some are excellent, but many are not. I hate to say it, but can hardly speak English, let alone deliver a curriculum. I am seriously considering giving up the job I am in, to become a supply teacher, as full-time permanent staff are put under so much pressure that it just isn't worth it.
Justin Allsop, Hinckley, UK

I am a maths supply teacher in Wales where there is no teacher shortage and where the chance of anyone who is not a newly qualified teacher getting a permanent job is slim. I work through two agencies and the local authority. If I work through the authority I get paid to scale and receive around �140 per day. If I have to work through an agency, I can only earn �90 per day, although the agency can be charging as much as �150. Some schools refuse to use the county register claiming it is too much hassle. Is it any surprise then that agency teachers are not as motivated when someone such as myself, with almost 10 years experience, is getting paid less than a newly qualified teacher? Furthermore, nearly all schools in Cardiff have recently appointed cover assistants; unqualified staff who do the same job as supply teachers at less than half the cost. Head teachers need to realise that some of us do supply work not through choice, but out of necessity. I would love a permanent job but I have to earn money where I can.
James Blunt, Cardiff Wales

I am a NQT and completed my PGCE (Secondary MFL)in June 2005 at Homerton, Cambridge. I am looking for a job but in the meantime, have registered with a supply agency. The agency took up references and saw the original of my PGCE.

I have not yet worked as a supply teacher but in the past week have been offered work in a primary school with a Year 5 class and work in a secure unit for girls. I feel that it was wrong and unprofessional of the agency to even ask me to work in either of these schools as I have no experience or knowledge of these areas. The next person they asked may have fewer scruples than I or need the money more desperately and accept a supply job for which they are not qualified and not suitable. It is situations such as this that lead to supply teachers, schools and students receiving a raw deal.
Claire, Cambridge, Cambs

As the mother of a dyslexic child and a victim of bullying in mainstream education, these supply teachers are a nightmare. They have no idea about the background of the kids in the class. When supply teachers are sent in to my son's class he comes home very unhappy. He has not been given the support he needs and is very mistrustful of these "strangers" This results in the standard of his work and behaviour slipping. He is four times more likely to get in to trouble from a supply teacher as he is his regular teacher.
Pauline Yates, Suffolk

Just as there are bad teachers and bad head teachers, so there are bad supply teachers. Tarring all supply teachers with the same "they're evil" brush fails to recognise their value to the industry.
Derek Blighty, UK

We use a continual supply of supply teachers. Most won't come back after a few days and the quality - and quantity - of the teachers that we are now getting is very poor. However, our school could not function without them - as we can not find cover supervisors who will stay either!
Sally, teacher, school with challenging circumstances, glad to be leaving soon!, Yorkshire