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Mr Harper,
	As an anonymous student of Portadown College, I feel concerned about the attitudes of certain teachers towards minority groups within classes. I feel these conservative views are endangering a sense of tolerance that should be revered within educational institutions. Besides being unprofessional for a teacher to endorse their personal and religious opinions to students in classes, the perceived antilocution could be potentially offensive to pupils, both those who belong to minorities and those who don’t.
I am particularly concerned about the attitudes of a teacher in the Chemistry department, Mr Spence, who frequently makes negative references to homosexuality. This may be hinted or clear. Recently, when teaching about the molecular structure of water, upon saying that the water molecule is bent in shape, he started to smile, quickly referred to gay people, and I quote, “Unfortunately by intelligent design, God made the world to be 70% covered in bent molecules,” going on to make reference to homosexuals in a negative light. This could potentially offend an already marginalised minority; statements like these made by respected teachers could lead to a misunderstanding of students that such attitudes are acceptable. 
I believe strongly that school is no place for such jocular hate speech, especially in a progressive democratic society such as the UK. Whilst I feel that teachers are entitled to their own opinions, when a teacher imposes religious authority to pupils in a classroom which has absolutely no relevance to religion and morality as far as these matters are concerned, it should be considered inappropriate and not tolerated. As teaching involves education of young people which develop into future generations, cases like these may perpetuate intolerance and hatred of minority groups into the future.
In concern for pupils, I ask that you deal with this appropriately. 
							Thank you for your consideration