Letters to the Editor

SIR, - I am sorry that your A-level student's parent (and perhaps many others) was unhappy with my comments about A-levels.

I made no criticism of students or teachers in my remarks, indeed quite the contrary. Students can only pass the exams put in front of them, and the vast majority of them and their teachers have worked incredibly hard and deserve their success.

However, it is perfectly clear that their success has been undermined by a system where more than 96 per cent of people pass. Passing an exam can only be a great achievement if some people fail, and we will soon be at the stage where everyone is told they have passed.

We have a situation now where employers organisations are saying that they no longer have faith in A-levels as a reliable judge of a candidate, and universities are also saying they will have to use a different criteria to judge their candidates.

That means that those people who have worked tirelessly to earn their grades at A-level now have to jump through more hoops to prove themselves because the politically correct current system, where nobody can be seen to fail, has devalued their achievements.

It's like the Emperor's New Clothes; everybody knows it but nobody dare say it because they may falsely be accused of criticising hard working students and teachers.

My father is a recently retired school teacher who saw pupils who would never have passed their A-levels a number of years ago getting good grades recently.

The University of Buckingham also did research which showed that a piece of work which would have got an 'E' grade in 1988 would get a 'B' grade today.

Indeed, it was refreshing to hear the deputy headmaster of a school whose pupils all scored straight As in their GCSEs admit that this was due to the exams having become easier rather than better teaching standards in the school.

There are already plenty of MPs who just say nice, fluffy things all the time so as not to upset or offend anyone. I believe occasionally an MP has a duty to say uncomfortable and unpopular things so as to bring about a much needed change, and start a debate.

We face a crossroads in our exam system. We can either carry on burying our heads in the sand, pretending that never ending improvements in grades are all well deserved, or we take action to restore the credibility of these exams.

People can decide for themselves which is the right course of action, but let us at least have an honest debate about it.

Philip Davies

MP for Shipley.

Dogs on moor

SIR, - With regard to J W Williams' letter, if dog owners cannot let their dogs off the lead on top of the moor where can they let their dogs off?!

Fell or moorland sheep are not the same as domestic or farm sheep, which are penned in a field. Fell sheep are much more hardy and wild, fend for themselves and roam over a much wider area.

They can sustain and look after themselves on much rougher and wilder ground. The lady in question was not doing anything wrong, she was resting on the high moor with her dog under control alongside her.

J W Williams approaches, so Hugh the Dog would be curious and obviously would want to make a friendly greeting. The dog would have sensed that he was not welcome before he drew near and veered off.

If J W had made a fuss of the dog, it would have returned to its owner and all would have been well. The lady in question sounds like a sensible dog owner. She did her best to bring the dog back under control which she eventually did.

Self-righteous J W Williams did nothing to help. If the dog had continued over the moor and out of sight not to return, things would have been different.

Ninety-five per cent of the people in Ilkley own or like dogs. Once brought into the home, a dog is part of the family, loved and cherished as much as any child. It is only the very few dog haters that cause the rest of us any problems.

If J W had any convictions with regards to his views, he should have put his address on his letter,

Claude J Durkin

The Drive,

Ben Rhydding.

Tea dance

SIR, - My mother, aged 86, my two daughters and myself had a most enjoyable afternoon at the King's Hall on Thursday, August 25.

We were at the Tea Dance, part of the August festivities in Ilkley. The music was fantastic. It was lovely to see the hall so full of dancers and did they dance! Thank you to everyone who made this possible,

Christine Wood

11 Colbert Avenue,

Ilkley.

Thanks, Anne

SIR, - I would like to thank Councillor Anne Hawksworth for the effort she put into celebrating 60 years after the ending of World War Two in Europe and Japan and to compliment Ilkley for the wonderful celebrations starting at the beginning of August until the end.

For a small town, Ilkley put other cities to shame.

With my friends, we attended most of the celebrations, including the Winter Gardens where it was a pleasure to see so many elderly people enjoying themselves at the tea dance. Leading the singing was the vibrant Shirley Britton who is always a pleasure to listen to.

We also sat at a table with two ladies called Dorothy and Lucy, who had appeared on Calendar and in the papers, as they were evacuated to Ilkley during the war, but had lost touch, only to be reunited many years later.

On behalf of my friends Sheila Benjamin, Mildred Sharpe and Betty Barnett we send best wishes to Ilkley, a most delightful place to visit.

MAMIE D FRANKS

42, High Ash Avenue,

Alwoodley,

Leeds.

Village shops

SIR, - Whilst applauding the new business venture of 'The Shop' featured in the Gazette on August 25, I would suggest that it is misleading to say that this is 'bringing back the traditional village shop' to Addingham.

The village has been well served over many years by a number of businesses - Addingham Village Stores, butcher, newsagent, electrical shop, chemist, hardware shop, carpet shop, fish and chip shops, alongside various newly founded ventures (organic fruit and veg, clothes, cards/ gifts etc.)

The impression given in your article was that the traditional village shop did not exist in Addingham prior to the one you featured. This is quite erroneous and misleading.

Addingham is an excellent place to live and shop, with an excellent set of village shops, and I look forward to ALL our businesses continuing and succeeding into the future.

J Tomlinson

Addingham.

Music boost

SIR, - Having rcently attended the Ilkley Music Festival weekend onm Addingham Moorside with my family, I would like to put my views in writing.

It was very well attended indeed, the music and performers were excellent, the venue was perfect, the camp site was good, the licence times were very good and well staffed, the stalls were of good quality and the fee was very reasonable for a weekend ticket.

We had a very enjoyable weekend and we hope this will become an annual event and that any teething problems will be sorted out for next year. I recommend anyone to go; it was suitable for all music tastes and ages, and the children loved it, too.

Well done, and thank you to the organisers. We shall certainly go again next year if the organisers are up for an annual event! This one was certainly a success.

STEPHEN POWELL

20 Thwaites Avenue,

Ilkley.

Milestone

SIR, - What has happened to the old milestone situated at the point where Slates Lane meets Langbar Road?

This showed the distance to 'Rippon' from the point and must have been in the position for hundreds of years. I walk this area regularly and this Sunday my observation showed a hole where the stone had previously stood.

New fencing now surrounds the area in which it was placed. There may be a good explanation as to its present whereabouts and also the intentions for the milestone's future or, I fear, it may have 'disappeared' as did the 'Verbiea' Stone.

Please could any of your readers throw a shaft of light on the milestone's disappearance?

If I have missed an explanation to my question through not having read previous 'Gazettes' thoroughly enough then please ignore the observation above. In these circumstances I should welcome being informed of the reason for the milestones disappearance.

Peter Scott OBE

Middleton Barn,

Middleton,

Ilkley.