WHEN I first saw the photograph of more than 70 mature students, each clad in traditional cap and gown (LET, October 1), I thought "How wonderful - this must be an Open University degree awarding ceremony."

Imagine my surprise and near disbelief on discovering that the students had gained National Vocational Qualifications.

This entire event was doubtless a tour de force, organised by the public relations section of the East Lancashire Training and Enterprise Council and really is a reductio ad absurdum of degree graduation ceremonies.

In North America and certain offshore islands, they have graduation ceremonies for students leaving junior and high schools, even though some of the 'graduates' may be under-achievers.

While the students in the photograph are to be congratulated on attaining their objectives, please let us have no more dumbing-down of graduation ceremonies.

Let us hope, too, that the dissolution of ELTEC, which has always been superfluous in this area, is quickly finalised, although the same principals are likely to appear on the new regional bodies, unfortunately.

R BRACEWELL (Mr), Ormerod Street, Worsthorne, Burnley.

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