Estelle Morris

I taught for 17 years in an inner city comprehensive schools.

Where the private sector, or anyone else, has skills, knowledge and resources that can help to deliver a high quality of education and to raise standards, we should use them.

Headteachers and governing bodies run schools and that won't change.

However, the Government has made it clear that we do not encourage the recruitment of teachers from developing nations where there may be an adverse effect on the economy.

By creating useful job descriptions and making clear what qualifications should be expected, the Department aims to help improve schools' ability to recruit the right people.

My Department has already recognised this and has been working specifically on the technical support issue since January and will offer advice to schools during the Autumn term.

The need for improved technical support in schools has expanded as the Government and schools have increased their investment in information and communications technologies.

I am confident that the vast majority of teachers will work with us towards achieving that goal.

I do recognise that, where recruitment difficulties persist, teachers can be put under great pressure.

There is a shortage of teachers but the January 2001 schools census showed that teacher numbers were at their highest level than at any time since 1984 - and 11,000 higher than 1997.

OFSTED has made large cuts in the paperwork which schools are asked to provide and further steps to reduce the bureaucratic burden will be introduced in September.

We do recognise the need to move towards the publication of information showing the progress made by pupils from one stage of their education to another.

I was head of the Sixth Form Centre when I left the school.

At different times I taught humanities, social sciences and pre-vocational education.

If we can modernise the workforce, make them better qualified, have this framework of qualifications, then I think they have a very good case for more money.

This government has always said increasing pay is something for something.

There is nothing wrong with becoming more ambitious along the way, but I think what the government has asked the council to do is a perfectly good starting point.

In the 21st century when few of us stay in the same job all our lives, I would like to think there was flexibility so teachers could become social workers, or foster carers become teachers.

You have got to attract the brightest and the best, but the brightest and best won't stay unless they see real career options.

If you invent the Mini Cooper, pour all your energy and passion into it and it gets made, you should be on a roll. In the film industry you have to start again the next day.

It is a very unusual sector and the one thing I would ask of them is to understand that for most of them one-third of their films are being financed by the taxpayer and that carries huge accountability and responsibility.

I want to give producers more financial security.

I know there are things I did in education that will never be reversed. I have not done that in film yet because I have only been here for about nine months.

I think film is a very powerful advocate and message carrier.

Before this government came to power, many failing schools were simply allowed to drift on in a pattern of continuing failure. The government is determined to break that pattern and is successfully doing so.