AT THE moment I am on unpaid sick leave recovering from a severe bout of depression caused by stress and anxiety from my job as a primary school teacher.

I have been teaching for 25-plus years in many country schools.

The pressures of today are many - difficult clientele, many meetings, more children with high needs, the placement of integration children within schools without full-time support, testing requirements and little support from parents, just to name a few.

It becomes virtually impossible to give all these children the time and help they deserve.

My solution would be to place two full-time teachers within grades instead of all these brand-new school buildings being built everywhere.

Children will learn in any environment - even old tin sheds - but if the teacher cannot give time to all children then the learning won't occur.

Heather McApline, Jack River, Victoria

Heather's letter has won her tickets to Cats