ANYQUESTIONS?

We’ve been told that our son, who will be starting at Rugby School next month, must have a laptop computer — not any old laptop but an “ Acer Travelmate 3002WTMi”, which has a huge hard drive, a DVD player (used mainly, we understand, for watching films during study periods) and costs £ 1,222. Why does a 13-yearold need such an expensive piece of equipment? I am afraid this is the laptop of choice for at least 60 independent schools. Apparently, the machine is robust, relatively light and has a long battery life. Gerry Randall, the bursar of Rugby, says the technical specifi cations are those required to meet the needs of all pupils, whatever they are studying, up to A- level. It illustrates how thoroughly education has been infected by computers, mostly, in my opinion, with little educational justifi cation. Education ministers boast about how many more teachers there are now than when Labour came to power. As one of the hundreds of newly qualified teachers who can’t find a job, I wondered if you knew how many more. According to Jacqui Smith, the schools minister, “the Government has increased teacher numbers by 32,000”. However, her department’s statistics show that the number of fulltime qualifi ed teachers in England has actually risen since 1997 by just 3,000 to 369,000, which doesn’t seem much to boast about.

Newly qualifi ed primary school teachers in England are having particular diffi culty fi nding jobs in the North East, North West and South West, and it is not going to get any easier. Because of a 15 per cent fall in the birth rate over the past 10 years, there will be 155,000 fewer primaryschool pupils by 2008. Primary schools already have 500,000 surplus places. Seven years ago, when my grandson, James, was 14, you kindly published a question from me about where he could do two weeks’ work experience to support his interest in becoming a marine biologist. Among the many responses was one from Portsmouth University, which arranged for him to work at the Sea Life Centre at Southsea. After GCSE and A-level, James went to Portsmouth, from where he has just graduated with a first in marine biology. Now he’s going to take a master’s degree and then a PhD in Australia. Thank you so much for helping to get things under way. My pleasure — and congratulations to your admirably single- minded grandson. in the holidays and don’t earn more than £4,895 in the tax year, they can arrange to be paid free of tax if they ask their employer for a P38( S) form. Otherwise, they’ll be subject to the emergency tax code and have to write to the Inland Revenue for a refund. Thank you. Richard Mannion, head of tax at Solomon Hare, adds that few payroll departments seem to have heard of P38( S), the special tax scheme for students. μ Write to John Clare, The Daily Telegraph, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DT ( fax 020 7538 6268; email john. clare@telegraph. co. uk).