THE virtual privatisation of our local schools must never be allowed to happen (High Schools Face Closure, Radcliffe Times, Oct 3).

It would have a long-term detrimental effect on our children's education and a drastic effect on the long-term budget strategy in our area. People need to know the facts about the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

All investment money is usually borrowed from the same money markets that the public sector can generally borrow from at interest rates around three per cent lower than the private sector. There is enough money in the Chancellor's Budget surplus to pay for the entire PFI programme, and if the public sector were allowed to borrow the money themselves it would cost far less and so provide more for investment.

It is just political ideology to use PFI. The article states that in 25 years the authority could take back management of the school. What it fails to add is that this will be at a cost to the taxpayer.

Let's keep our state-run schools exactly that, no more, no less, and no backdoor privatisation

RUSSELL TURNER,

Radcliffe.