I READ with interest your comment 'Come into the real world, Sir' (LET, March 11) and noted your justified concerns regarding the current state of education and the unacceptably low levels of achievement of too many pupils.

The education of our children is a three-way partnership involving the education service, parents and pupils, each shouldering a certain degree of responsibility for the task.

For too long now the Press, and indeed the Government, seems to have been trying to place all the responsibility on the education service (personified by teachers). It is high time that all parents and all pupils were made to accept their equal shares of that responsibility.

Pupils should have to achieve certain mandatory targets or standards (for example at least 50 per cent in English, maths and any three other subjects) in end-of-year tests before being allowed to progress into the next year up.

This idea could be extended so that no pupil would be allowed to leave school until they had achieved at least grade C or better in at least five GCSE examinations. Obviously, reduced targets could be agreed upon for pupils diagnosed as having special needs. This should help to ensure that all pupils are doing their best, because none of them would want to be held back a year when all their friends have moved on. Pupils can only make progress if they are in school. It should be possible, the technology exists, for schools to send register returns (names and addresses of pupils absent without valid reasons, such as medical appointments or illness) to the Department of Social Security on a weekly, monthly or term basis.

The parents of those pupils who were absent without a valid reason would then have their family allowances or child benefits docked on a pro rata basis.

This idea could also be extended to include any pupils who were temporarily suspended from school due to unacceptable behaviour. Parents would then be more willing to ensure that not only were their offspring in school when they should be, but that they were also co-operating fully with the teachers.

It is only when all three elements in the partnership are made to co-operate together that progress will be made.

Name and address received.

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