Letter: Above all, pupils need hope

Sir: In less emotive times a shift from CCD to CDD in the average A-level entry grades required to enter programmes of teacher education would hardly merit a front-page exclusive (10 June), particularly when you recall that the number of students entering higher education has doubled between 1986 and 1996, your sample years. Furthermore, all candidates for teacher training programmes are interviewed by both practising teachers and teacher educators and are judged on their potential to become effective teachers after three or four years of training as well as on their likely A-level points score.

It is, however, fair to say that teaching is looking increasingly unattractive to potential university entrants, and this is reflected in a decline in applications in recent years. The extent to which this is influenced by the comments of politicians, quasi-politicians and the media is for your readers to judge.

Dr JOHN CATER

Director

Edge Hill University College

Ormskirk, Lancashire