SIR – Where does Mr Herdson (Letters, December 6) acquire his facts and information?

As a primary school pupil from 1947 to 1951, the class sizes averaged 28 and in his defence most pupils lived reasonably close to school. But most staff travelled above-average distances on public transport of the time, not one having personal transport.

I recall even in the severe winter of 1947 not a single day was lost in spite of these well-recorded conditions.

From 1951 to 1956, I attended what was then Hanson Boys’ Grammar School, and as this was at Bradford Moor and I lived in Great Horton, my twice-daily commute across the city unaccompanied was taken in my stride, along with hundreds of others of my ilk.

Even here only a handful of staff owned vehicles and some travelling much longer distances.

In closing, I would add that in my opinion, not many (if any) will receive the very high standard of education in present day Bradford that I and hundreds of others received during these two decades. These are recorded facts, Mr Herdson, and not cobbled statistics.

Gerald A Smith, Bray Close, Horton Bank Top, Bradford