Letters: The rights and wrongs of home schooling

As a long-term home educator, I object in the strongest terms to Vijay Patel's comments linking home education and child abuse (Education, 26 February). In particular, he is using the case of Victoria Climbié in a most irresponsible fashion.

Victoria Climbié was not home-educated. According to Section 3.19 of the final report at www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk, "no effort was made, either by Kouao or by Ealing Social Services, to enrol her in any form of educational or daycare activity".

From the day she arrived in the UK until her death 10 months later, Victoria was known to four social services departments and had been referred by a number of members of the public, including being taken to hospital by a childminder. Similarly, Eunice Spry was a long-term child-abuser who had been approved by Gloucestershire social services as a foster carer and adoptive parent (despite concerns about her care having been raised). She had been introduced to some of the parents of the abused children by social services and was a foster parent for nine years before she withdrew the children from school.

No one can say categorically that no home-educated child would ever be the subject of abuse, but I think that it would be more useful for the money that the Government is spending on the EHE review were to be spent instead on ensuring that social services departments and health services are sufficiently well staffed and resourced to protect the children who come to their notice.

Shena Deuchars

Swindon, Wiltshire

With reference to the article by Hilary Wilce about home education, we would like to make it clear that the NSPCC is not against home education. As regards schooling, we believe parents should have the right to decide what is in the best interests of their children.

Our concern is about the safety of children. Those educated at home should have the same right to protection as those taught in school. This is what we asked the Government to consider in its review.

Phillip Noyes

Director of Public Policy, NSPCC, London EC2

Banker takes the money and runs

In all the fuss over Fred Goodwin's pension, it seems that the Government is going after the wrong people.

Sir Fred negotiated and accepted a perfectly legal pension deal with his former employer. He broke no laws. In a similar situation, faced with enforced departure and little hope of any future career, which of us could put hand on heart and say that we would not have taken the money and run with it? The Government has no business in trying to force or shame him into returning money which is his. It would set a truly worrying precedent, tempting though it may be.

The real idiots in this are, surely, the board of RBS, who agreed to the payments. It appears that they were under no obligation to make the payment. Does this not make them guilty of at least crass stupidity and probably of failure to protect the interests of their shareholders?

This is a serious matter. Let's see if the Government have the courage to go after the right people rather than simply trying to grab the moral high ground and whip up public anger.

Chris Shore

Cambridge

It is surely churlish to deny Sir Fred Goodwin the comfortable pension to which he deems himself entitled. Having achieved little in life other than to be rated by any standard a spectacular failure cannot be easy to live with. Money is evidently his measure of self-worth and, by corollary, the low opinion of those he has impoverished is of little account.

If ever an example were needed to show that overwhelming avarice is not all there is to finance we need look no further. He has been granted high honour by those in government who now affect to deride him, which tells us all we need to know about those in government.

Every age needs its tales of morality and mortality, of Midas minted anew. Who are we to deny a man a little self-respect, however deluded?

Derek Simpson

Coleraine, Co Londonderry

Recent correspondence on the status of engineers, together with news reports of a £650,000 pension for the ex-boss of a troubled bank, prompts me to review the risk equations for each profession.

One slip by an engineer can leave them jobless, contemplating the tens or hundreds of deaths they caused, whereas 40 years' diligent service merits a cheap carriage clock and a letter starting, "Due to the hole in the company pension fund . . .".

By contrast, it seems that a banker can vastly increase the size of the gravy train, and when they drive it off the viaduct, there is still enough gravy to pay them a huge pension. In this light, Ken Livingstone's suggestion of hanging one a week seems a practical and proportionate way to rebalance the risks.

Sean Barker CEng

Bristol

Some years ago, I was invited to a meal by acquaintances in Edinburgh whose dining-room was dominated by a painting of a distinguished-looking Victorian gentleman. "That is my grandfather," the lady of the house explained. "For many years it was kept in the attic; only now have we have dared display it. You see, he was a director of the City of Glasgow Bank and when it failed in 1878 he went to prison; they all did."

John Herbert

Edinburgh

Sir Fred Goodwin's reputation as a professional and as a man lies in shreds. He had a chance to buy back at least some of his standing by voluntarily surrendering a proportion of the pension he has taken away from Royal Bank of Scotland. That he apparently values the money more than he values his name tells you all you need to know about both him and his like.

Mark Ogilvie

Malpas, Cheshire

Although greed is a major feature of the misbehaviour of men such as Sir Fred Goodwin, their greatest flaw is vanity. It may prove expensive, even illegal, to retrieve his ill-gotten financial gains, but his knighthood is not subject to the same contractual constraints.

His behaviour has been dishonourable and it is therefore surely proper that his "honour", and those of others who have performed in similar fashion, should be revoked, preferably with the same ceremony and by the same hand with which it was bestowed in the first place.

stewart dakers

Farnham, surrey

I suggest that the next Budget includes a new income tax band of 100 per cent on any pension receipts in excess of £30,000 per annum received, directly or indirectly, from the Royal Bank of Scotland. That should do it.

Simon Molloy

LONDON E8

Solar power from the Sahara

In his article "The green movement must learn to love nuclear power" (23 February), Chris Goodall says: "Even concentrated solar power plants in the Sahara desert will need a lot of space – at least 15,000 sq kms." Recent calculations from the German Aerospace Centre show (DLR) that an area of 16,129 sq kms in the Sahara, if covered with CSP plants, would produce as much electricity as is now being used by the whole of Europe. This is less than 0.2 per cent of the area of the Sahara.

Of course, no one is suggesting that one should meet all of Europe's electricity needs from the Sahara. In the scenarios described in the TRANS-CSP report from the DLR, CSP would be just one of a combination of renewable sources and nuclear power would be phased out. Compared with the situation now, there would be an overall reduction of imports of energy into Europe and there would be a greater diversity of sources of energy.

CSP plants are quick to build. The UK could begin to benefit from CSP imports quite soon, via the existing transmission grid. As quantities increase, the transmission grid may be upgraded by removing bottlenecks, by converting HVAC transmission lines to low-loss HVDC transmission lines, by building new HVDC transmission lines (some of which may be under the sea) and by installing smart electronics.

Dr Gerry Wolff CEng

Coordinator of DESERTEC-UK

Menai Bridge, Anglesey

Time to limit public office

On 20 February, Rupert Cornwell observes that "the first months of any new administration are usually its most successful". Three pages later, Steve Richards laments "the unyielding dominance of Blair and Brown for more than a decade means that there are no Titans below . . . who could have risen with confidence to the top job . . ." Then the next day, Geoffrey Wheatcroft declares that "the mighty ones have lost contact with reality . . ." so " . . . as to suggest a financial and political class that has not just lost the plot but lost its marbles".

This adds up to a convincing case for strict term limits on all the holders of public office, whatever Ken Livingstone may say on the other side. In fact, some of us may feel that his protestations reinforce the case for two- (or one-) term only mayors, ministers and legislators.

B J Fearnley

Debenham, Suffolk

An unfair pop at the Prius

Martin Hickman's amusing look at daft inventions (23 February) was spoiled by a cheap Clarksonesque pop at the Toyota Prius. The true answer to his question about the emissions involved in building it and disposing of it can be easily found in Toyota's publications. This technology is being adopted by most vehicle manufacturers.

Such nonsense would never find space in a quality German or Chinese publication, where the importance of engineering is recognised and they prefer to base their success on manufacturing value-added products, not valueless opinions.

GRAHAM LEWIS

GILLINGHAM, KENT

The hard life of a 'normal' fresher

Go on, admit it. "The Diary of a Fresher" is written by a middle-aged bloke, isn't it (Education, 26 February)? My flatmates and I cannot believe that it's a real first-year student. I'm sure other students who read The Independent would agree. Ulysses? That's a Franz Ferdinand song. After Googling, it appears he was in fact referring to a hero from Greek mythology, but however creative, it reads like Radio 4.

It's great he's able to do so many extra-curricular activities but quit moaning. Some of us don't have the luxury. Many students have to work 16 hours a week or more to pay bills and meet day-to-day expenditure because our parents can't (or won't!) help us financially.

Love the paper. It's fab.

Robyn Vinter

Normal first-year journalism student, Leeds Met University

Grief in perspective

Watching the BBC news, we were astounded to behold the coverage of the sad death of David Cameron's son. We have lost a young member of our family in similar circumstances and have only sympathy for the Camerons, but, as Simon Carr said in his column, suspending Parliament was a bit much. How about the sad loss of three British soldiers?

Dave Wisdom

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

The Dawkins dictates

The implication of Richard Dawkins's letter (26 February) is that Muslims who aren't jihadists are either dishonest or do not take their scriptures seriously. It does seem to be a common characteristic of avowed non-believers that they are apt to dictate what believers have to believe in order to be "true" believers. Isn't that precisely the sort of narrow-minded fundamentalist thinking they're quick to criticise jihadists for?

David Woods

Hull

Bagging a profit

"Seven leading supermarkets agreed that they would seek a 50 per cent reduction in single-use [plastic] bags," states your article (26 February). I now have to buy plastic bags in which to put my household rubbish, from one of the seven leading supermarkets. Who is benefiting from going green then? It isn't me.

DAVID SELBY

Winchester, Hampshire

A van for all reasons

Each day, my village lane is visited by, inter alia, one red Royal Mail van visiting every house, and up to 10 white vans visiting one house each to deliver a mail-order parcel, and, incidentally, block the lane, increase CO2 emissions, and waste my time asking for addresses. If a larger red van did the lot, there would be savings on traffic congestion, greenhouse emissions and my patience. Market economics says competition is good; real-cost economics suggest a Royal Mail monopoly would be better.

Roger Martin

Wells, Somerset

It's a teen thing

There may be many reasons for thinking twice before becoming an "older father" but the potential for embarrassing the child in teenage years is probably not one of them (letters, 27 February). Nearly all parents, irrespective of age, become an embarrassment to their teenage offspring sooner or later; it's part of what being a teenager is all about.

Jonathan Wallace

Newcastle upon Tyne