I AGREE with your correspondent, Brian Derbyshire. Education at present is failing us, and this is not the fault of the teachers.

Teachers privately complain to me that they spend too much time these days on keeping records, statistics, doing reports, and preparing and marking tests etc rather than having time to educate their pupils. Education is not about implanting a load of useless information into children; facts that, for generations, we have quickly forgotten after taking our exams. Education is about teaching children to grow up to live a useful and contented life, with a love of family, friends and neighbours, and an appreciation of the Arts, sport, the countryside, children, political discussion etc.

I remember a 1940 Speech Day addressed by Bolton's forgotten man - George Tomlinson. Later, he went on to be Minister of Education and pioneered comprehensive education. He told us that his education had failed because he had not been taught the love of music and Art and had missed out on the pleasure many people enjoy from these. He was right on course. Nevertheless, I would say that he was well educated, having been taught to develop a strong sense of humour and how to relate to people.

During my working life, I once studied the employment records of about 400 employees of the organisation working in two towns. I was surprised to find that the people who had progressed most by promotion were not the ones with the best educational qualifications, but the ones who related best to their colleagues and the general public. I say to the youngsters who finished with poor exam results - do not give up. work on your communication and life skills and you will do OK.

Schools should not be judged on exam results alone. It is a pity we cannot be told how school leavers have progressed 10 or 20 years after leaving school. How many finished in prison? How many are unemployed? How many are in successful partnerships? How many doing well in their chosen careers? Particularly, how many are leading happy, contented, useful lives?

If they come in the last category, they are well educated.

George K Brown

Barncroft Road, Farnworth

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.