OH DEAR, John Blunt (Letters, February 14), go to the bottom of the class for being such a narrow-minded person.

Your remarks on students with poor A-levels getting into university have probably insulted the many thousands of mature students in Lancashire who have entered higher education without gaining the so-called 'results' you spout about.

Do you believe that you cannot be classed as intelligent unless you possess a piece of paper saying you can pass examinations?

Obviously, you attended a prestigious school, where pupils received attention, encouragement and mollycoddling in order to help them achieve excellent results then went, with straight A-level results, to a higher education establishment.

Whereas, all us poor 'thickies' who, in your tainted, arrogant and non-intellectual view, were incapable of passing our A-levels are given "backdoor" entry into higher education. Evidently, you believe that anyone who cannot pass their A-levels should not be allowed access to further education. Sadly, this reflects the stuffy, unintelligent, education for the privileged elite claptrap which the government spouts.

Fortunately, these dim perspectives are slowly being laid to rest in our education system.

Too much emphasis has been placed upon an individual's 'ability' to 'achieve' within the base subjects like maths or English.

If your aptitude lies outside these subjects, then you are automatically classed as 'thick.'

But, thanks to many colleges, universities, etc., having the foresight to understand that, sometimes, children are, quite sadly, never given the chance to show their capabilities in other areas of study and have been effectively barred from taking further qualifications, they can now have the opportunity to do just that.

However, it is people like you who are 'thick' for not having the nous to give these 'thickies' the chance to excel in other areas.

To deny anyone the right to education because their abilities don't fit your idea of education is totally and irresponsibly wrong.

A J DAY (Mr), Moorfield, Whalley.

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