Letter: School action zones

Sir: On the back of a torrent of government "educational initiatives" which includes a revised National Curriculum, a Year of Reading, literacy hours, literacy hotlines, summer schools and Saturday classes we are now to have "action zones". Is David Blunkett not aware that we are at the bottom of the European literacy league table because the liberal Sixties spawned a host of "educational initiatives", foisted on us by a generation of whizz-kid advisers who rose to stardom on the basis of a range of expensive, untried and unproven initiatives.

The solution to the problems of education is a well-trained, well-paid teaching force which can attract the best candidates and government which stays out of the classroom.

EDWARD CARRON

Condover, Shropshire