YOUR SHOUT

Last time, I told you how my career ambitions had initially been thwarted by negative ‘advice’ from a teacher:

Fiona, how right you are about children living their dreams. My granddaughter goes to a local grammar school. At a recent parent/teacher evening she said she was thinking about Oxford University. The teacher told her she’d have little chance of that. My granddaughter had five A*s and four As in her GCSEs. She’s continuing to achieve As in coursework for A-level Geography, Economics and Politics. The teacher said she probably wouldn’t even get an interview.

As a retired teacher myself, I was so cross that someone could put such doubts into my granddaughter’s mind.

Children should be encouraged in their ambitions. P Broadhurst, Wareham, Dorset

Fiona, your thoughts reminded me of my school careers advice. Headmaster: “What do you want to do?” “I’d like to go to university, Sir.” “Your sort doesn’t go to university, your sort goes to prison.” It was like being kicked down a flight of stairs.

Aspirations over, I became a teenage racist thug with my self-esteem at an all-time low.

I’m now reformed and just about managing, as everyone is, but who knows what I could have been? Bill Bryson said the cleverest people he ever met were plumbers, taxi drivers etc. What a waste... Tony, via email