Letter: An idea to be buried

Sir: The suggestion by Brigid Davies (Letters, 24 August) that different examining boards might specialise in different curriculum areas should be swiftly buried before John Patten, the Secretary of State for Education, spots it.

In the face of the increasing centralisation of education policy, the freedom to select between the present eight boards still gives the teacher some choice as to what is taught in the classroom. It is hard to see how one specialist board could offer a similar variety of syllabus within any given subject; and the fear is that the Government would have simplified access when it wanted to interfere in syllabus decisions.

Yours faithfully,

CHRIS BAILEY

London, SE20

24 August