- guardian.co.uk, Monday March 13 2000 17.54 GMT
Let's test Chris Woodhead's hypothesis that the excellent results in private schools are the result of good teaching, and not the generous resources, selection procedures or smaller classes. Mr Woodhead should persuade our colleagues in the private schools to transfer their skills into the state schools with the poorest results. The ladies on the Roedean staff would work with the children in the council estate so close to hand and prove it is just their teaching ability which has maintained Roedean's excellence. Teachers from the state sector could demonstrate whether their own school's poor results stem from the community's poverty, children's disaffection and the poor resources, or from their own inadequate teaching ability.
Pam Stanier
Manchester
• They changed George Orwell school's name, the head and the staff. Pity they neglected to change the pupils.
Isabel McIntyre
Aberdeen
