TEACHERS should be held in the same esteem as lawyers and doctors, a headteacher told her school's prize evening.

Celebrating the best ever year for results at St Hilda's RC High School, Burnley, Miss Bernadette Bleasdale said: "I feel very strongly that teachers be given the support and recognition that they deserve.

"This support needs to be in the form of respect and reward, the recognition that the teaching profession should be alongside other professions, such as medicine and law."

Miss Bleasdale said schools faced more government proposals as the third millennium approached, and once again education continued to be a political football.

She said: "The questions for us as we face the new millennium in a Catholic school is how we can sustain the breadth of vision and the motivation to keep our school successful academically while upholding our deep Catholic values.

"I am confident we can achieve our goals without becoming obsessed or bogged down with this bureaucracy."

In GCSE exams, 74 per cent of girls gained five or more A* to C grades, 26 per cent of all grades were A* and A and 72 per cent of all grades were at C or above.

But Miss Bleasdale stressed this was "correct at the time of going to press" because remarking in textiles and religious education was still to be carried out.

Special mention was given to year 11 pupil Hannah Scott, who has achieved a grade A in the first module of her A-level maths.

Miss Bleasdale praised the staff, parents and parent, teacher association and said: "I am certain that together we can face the new millennium, the changes and legislation by focusing on the thing that matters - the young people in our care."

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