Letter: Schools' high moral duty

Sir: Your leading article misses the point. State education has serious deficiencies. The 7 per cent of the population who do not use it consist of the wealthy and powerful decision-makers in our society. Are these two facts connected? If the influence of the 7 per cent could be brought to bear on the problems of state education for reasons of self-interest, would there be improvements?

The point is not to consider "abolition" of private education, but to unite it with the state system. Would not such a development have a beneficial effect on the crippling class system our country endures?

With the new, invigorating political atmosphere we are now very briefly enjoying, we have an unrepeatable opportunity to tackle this problem. Must it be missed?

PETER RAINEY

Maidstone,

Kent