Letters to the Editor

SIR - Alec Suchi (T&A, August 25) quite rightly draws attention to the difference between today's school examination structures and those we much older students faced in the past. And he is also right to recognise the students' achievements within the structures they have encountered.

But one point he misses is the serious over-riding deception now being carried out on our young people, simply for national political reasons.

To award so many teenagers high grades, particularly A and A*, is to give them the impression that they are excelling while, in fact, this level is rapidly becoming the norm rather than the exception it should be.

Young people are thus given a false impression of their standards, which can only damage them in the longer term when they eventually discover the truth of their grades' real-world value. If we should be honest with anyone, surely it is with our young people, to whom we should always be setting an example of integrity.

But, sadly, our Government has clearly decided that this cynical deceit is an acceptable price for the political points to be scored from this manifestly empty implication of allegedly "improved" educational standards.

Graham Hoyle, Kirkbourne Grove, Baildon

Populist proposal

SIR - I am grateful for Mr P E Bird's explanation (T&A, Letters, August 18) as to why our Chief Constable should give priority to the preferences of individual taxpayers when considering the deployment of his force.

I would point out, however, that other organisations like banks, the Post Office and hairdressers also "depend" upon the paying public for their incomes but in pursuit of profit they routinely ignore the convenience of their customers when setting their opening hours.

What Mr Bird seems to have overlooked in his demand for more public access to Bingley and Shipley police stations is the dictum of Margaret Thatcher who insisted that public services must also be subject to the "discipline of the market".

That is to say they are required to provide the minimum acceptable service at the lowest possible cost to reduce the overall burden of taxation.

Our MP now seems prepared to ignore his party's commitment to lower taxes with a pointless populist proposal which might give him some slight electoral advantage but only with those few individuals who do not trust the telephone and who are unwilling to make their visits during existing - to my mind quite generous - public hours.

Brian Holmans, Langley Road, Bingley.

Unpalatable truth

SIR - What nonsense for the Citizens' Advice Bureau and people like Mr Miller to blame loan and credit card companies for debt problems (T&A, August 22). That's the same as blaming fast food companies for making you fat!

Whatever happened to personal responsibility for one's own actions? The unpalatable truth is that it's all about greed. The solution? Simple. If you can't afford it, don't buy it. If you don't want to be fat, don't eat it.

David Wilson, Beacon Grove, Bradford 6

Gaza melodrama

SIR - The coverage of the Israeli evacuation of the Gaza Strip makes some wonder who is the victim in the story? Lines have certainly been blurred so that the colonists are seen using images of the Holocaust (with some colonists wearing yellow stars like the ones Jews were forced to wear by the Nazis) to convey the injustice that has been done to them.

The common message is these people have been forced to leave "their" land and not the land that has been occupied illegally by their country, Israel, since 1967.

At times, it felt like some of these colonists were performing to the media, with continuous acts of weeping and collapsing, then rising again and wanting to be carried off to the buses instead of walking. There was definitely a melodramatic element played out in the entire process. There was little mention of why these people were being evicted. After all, they are the same people who willingly and forcefully took someone else's land (and water and air space and harvest) despite the international community calling their acts illegal time and again.

Hamdan Khan, St Michael's Road, Bradford 8

Store is needed

SIR - Re your report about Tesco's proposed store in Great Horton Road (T&A, August 20).

I am glad this plan has been approved by the Bradford area planning panel, at least the one for the store (Great Horton doesn't really need another petrol station), as since the Co-op store closed, food and general shopping facilities are almost non-existent.

The proposed site is ideal as it is in the middle of a circle of the other more distant shopping facilities, ie: Four Lane Ends, Queensbury, Mayo Avenue and city centre.

Tesco are no doubt capable of sympathetically blending their store in with the surroundings, providing sufficient access and parking and, hopefully, easy pedestrian access.

Great Horton really needs this store.

S Bean, Bempton Court, Bradford 7.

Lack of values

SIR - The rate of return of the UK financial sector is twice that on the Continent. This is largely due to exploitation of staff and unbridled greed.

The attitude on the Continent is more aware of the wider economic and social costs, especially in Germany, France and Spain. The attitude of the UK financial services, generally is akin to the Chicago Mafia in the 20th century. They took a great deal out of the community and gave a fraction back in a sophisticated advertising and publicity campaign by their front-end organisations.

The lack of values in this sector is a very bad role model to young people.

Paul Brown, Pollard Lane, Bradford 2.

The way forward

SIR - Mubarik Iqbal consistently invalidates any presumed ingenuousness on her part by the sarcastic innuendo in her letter tailpieces (T&A, August 19). It matters not whether an exotic person has lived in a country 36 or 96 years, they are not indigenised unless they adopt or subject themselves to native culture or influence.

That was the crux of Ian McDougall's intelligent correspondence (T&A, August 9).

Not wishing to sully the reputation or indeed question the integrity of Mubarik Iqbal, a volte-face in her opinions and views would be more conducive to the creation of a harmonious society than dwelling on historicity.

David Rhodes, Croscombe Walk, Bradford 5.

Bring back a slap!

SIR - Who has the power to alter the laws that encourage evil behaviour? When will the law be changed back to where it was 50 years ago, when young hooligans could be slapped across the face and rear end to stop their unnatural behaviour?

This is a must now, because there is no respect for anyone, especially, us older people. Please bring back discipline both in our schools, where it is most necessary, and on our streets, and town centres.

Why should we pensioners have to stay indoors while these young hooligans control all town centres every day?

Bill Hudson, Woodvale Close, Tyersal.

MP is spot on

SIR - In response to Ken Morton's letter of August 17. Gerry Sutcliffe MP is spot on wanting to save the green space of West Bowling Golf Club from developers. So is John Prescott. Does Ken spit his dummy out every time he is refused planning permission?

M J Fitzpatrick, Fenwick Drive, Woodside, Bradford