Letter: Awkward squad

Saturday 25 January 1997 00:02 GMT

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Sir: At last, an educational policy I can support! ("Plan to raise school cadets", 23 January.) Thirty-five years ago my experience in the school cadets taught me a lot. Social skills - how to subvert orders and avoid detection; leadership skills - how to get your mates to join in the latest scam; a sense of cameraderie - pride in being termed the "sod squad". And as for the weapons training, it's quite a skill to explode field telephones when you're meant to be firing at targets.

Did Mr Major have similar formative experiences at school?

CHRIS WATKINS

London N19

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Letter: Awkward squad

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