A WELL-known puppet or cartoon character could be promoted as a media figure to encourage primary school children in various activities, including arts and crafts, sports and games, literacy and numeracy.

Under the banner of Draw and Paint with ..., Practice Sport with ... or Spell, Read, Write and do Sums with ..., the character might hold a paint brush, pencil, bat or ball and be clad in a school uniform or football shirt.

Appropriate sketches on these themes might have the useful knock-on effect on young children of both introducing them to - and interesting them in - scholastic, aesthetic and physical education.

John Buckle,

St Annes.

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