IT appears that Ofsted equate success by the number of schools they fail, then, returning at a later date notice a miraculous improvement in standards.

But many millions must remember achieving literacy and numeracy at school in earlier days. What, since then, has gone wrong?

Forty or so years ago, school inspectors descended and condemned the teaching of grammar, spelling, handwriting and tables.

Spelling, they said, would be acquired by reading; tables by the number of 'sums' the children worked; handwriting and grammar did not matter - "just let them express themselves." Gullible teachers were suborned into accepting this dubious philosophy.

Later, someone had a vision, and the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) appeared, (46 signs, one for each sound in the language), by means of which the less able would learn to read.

This was superseded by more novelties including group teaching, projects, 'finding out' (?) learning-corners, collaborative learning (e.g. the life of a salmon), Cuisenaire, the colour factor. Where are they now?

Then along came a new Minister of Education, Keith Joseph, whose only claim to the job, in common with all others, past and present, was that he once went to school. However, he was not a well man and eventually went to the Lords. He was succeeded by Kenneth Baker, who manoeuvred with ideas for a while before enlisting the help of Chris Woodhead and sundry others accepted as experts. So, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness there still is no sight of the Promised Land.

Teaching is a down-to-earth business for the professionally qualified - not the remote university don, nor a film producer, nor a baroness in the Lords.

As for David Blunkett, he is merely compounding the errors of his predecessors.

In my experience the much-maligned teaching profession is a conscientious body (with very few exceptions) committed to the children they teach.

Their trouble today is that with Ofsted they are not allowed to teach, but are told what to do and how to do it, followed by reams of time-consuming paperwork. Ninety-nine per cent of children want to learn - if they see a point in it.

Perhaps that's the point and there is no point.

The education system has, for 40 years and by various technicians, been worked on, inspected, adjusted, tinkered with, sworn at and kicked, but to no avail.

So, having tried the cowboys, why not now ask the real experts - the teachers? They, if anyone, should know what is needed and how it should be done.

A G HOOK, Grasmere Avenue, Blackburn.

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