School variety lost

SIR – Judith Woods’s article about education (Features, September 22), in which she praises the German system, was a reminder of what we have lost.

Grammar schools, high schools, central schools, technical schools, junior art schools, senior art schools – these were all available under the excellent Manchester education system before the arrival of one-sizefits-all comprehensive schools. Anne Goring

Brixham, Devon

SIR – If the Butler Education Act of 1944 had been properly implemented – and modified according to the needs of pupils, rather than the dogma of each government – our school system would look very different today. It would be similar to the German one.

Children only have one chance with their education. Each time party politics interferes, education is affected – and not always for the better. All too often during my teaching career, I had to implement policies that had little to do with improving the learning process. Nicholas Sanceau

Saltdean, East Sussex