UK education has collapsed since central Government (party politicians) got involved.

School Cert. and Higher School Cert. used to be administered by the Universities (Oxf. & Cambs. and the London Examination Boards) which de facto determined schools' curriculum so as to deliver University entrants of the required standard.

It's the same principle as getting disastrous economic management out of the hands of politicians by making the Bank of England independent - make education independent and it will flourish.

We will then get back to where we were in the 60s - a good University stream but no proper education for unacademic students. The German system works well and turns out thousands of exceptionally well trained technicians and tradesmen, who are an asset to their industries and their consumers. Why not just copy a successful system?

Politicians should forget their daft attempts at social engineering and leave education to professionals - it's too important.

Peter Lloyd, BLACKER HILL, South Yorkshire

Michael Gove used to be a good writer, but he's a politician now and it shows. 17 paragraphs of platitudinous valium, and only one point in it - which he makes us wait until paragraph 15 for. So what's Mckey got to say for himself as shadow schools secretary? Synthetic phonics works. I've read it a hundred times. Arguing against it is like arguing against motherhood and apple pie. It'll only help primary school kids though, so you'll have to think up something else for the secondary schools. Is this really the best the Conservatives can do?

Redcliffe, London,

A real educational point has grown in the EU and opinion is not on our side but sold out by Blair with his affinity for terrorists and the Axis heritage of most of the socialism which he embraces rather than a good statistics of our sector of the human spectrum. He is glib and boring and very mean to real talent and the better modern way.
Gordon Brown has aligned with the interesting and positivity of Protestants and the English world so vital and safer for men, women and growing children.
In the analysis of the Great Creator the space and Earth and human effects have a fullish bell curve or stronger and weaker ev. effects which help or hinder human life.
When the stronger and faster effects hit we have to run and it can be millions. There can be little planning and man goes with the GC and adds to the negativity.
In the pleasanter eras of weaker ev. which is usually longer and man can survive and prosper and let the spectral balance lead development.
Jacob/ Israeli. RC/ C of E

Dr MI Barton MA. MBA, Oxon., uk

I was a teacher at Wellington Primary School, Bow, London during the period in which the school moved from being one of the worst performing schools in the country to the best [ based on sats results]. I do not agree with the Sats method of measuring performance,however the Best Practice Phonics system we employed was a proven success amongst the predominately Bangladeshi pupils who arrived at Wellington ,at four years old ,with no English language skills.
I am now teaching overseas, as I was driven out of the U.K. educational establishment by its desire to impart a ' cloning ' of teaching styles .

Alex, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I disagree very very strongly. You can have the greatest brain on the planet, but you have to share your insights to survive and the current culture in this country is for electronic tapping of PCs, stealing ideas and passing them off as your own and undermining creative people via scurrilous gossip and rumour.

Destiny will be determined, as always by:
1. Full-spectrum informational surveillance and extortion using the results.
2. Establishing chains of thuggish command to steal the valuable assets of more gentle folks.
3. Destroying anyone who states that such behaviour is unacceptable.

I am extremely surprised that a minister, current or ex, can display such naivety and it says much that a UK minister has just done so.

It is no coincidence that those making most money now are:
1. Sportsmen, whose spontaneous performances can neither be stolen nor mimicked easily.
2. Media moguls and investment bankers, who trade increasingly on electronically stolen information.

Rhys Jaggar, Leeds, UK

I'd put it to Mr Gove that no real progress will be made until the predominant perception of the underclass changes from:-

A. "The effect of the winners winning is that the rest of us lose"

to

B. "The effect of the winners winning is that we all benefit"

Note that I use the word "perception". I'm not making a judgement which of these more fairly represents the true-life situation. That's up to Mr Gove and his colleagues to work out. What I will say is that we have had at least 15 years in which B has been the Establishment Message, virtually without political counter. Perhaps Mr Gove should ponder whether the reason that this hasn't been adopted by the lower echelons of society is that it has been poorly packaged. Or is it more the case, within our present social and economic culture, that Message B is inherently incorrect?

Simon Stephenson, Windermere, UK

There is nothing new about phonics - the current phase is just an opportunistic repeat of a method tried several times and which has has always been recognised as reasonably successful in sounding words but does not help at all in understanding them. And eniwai fonics just dusernt wurk for most wurds. Its a kon Mikle, like yoo nd yer parti. As someone pointed out the last time it was wheeled out, phonics may have been successful in Clackmannanshire but would it have worked in Kirkcudbrightshire?

eric campbell, harrogate , uk

Mummy should teach little Jonny to read, as my mummy taught me. Mrs Barratt, the reception class teacher, was very good, but if she offered five minutes to each child per day that would more or less take up the whole morning.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

"Their tests are bad. Our test is good and will solve everything."

Everything that's wrong with modern politicians summed up in just one paragraph! It's a test, Mr Gove. It will be gamed, whether you like that or not.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

No brain power won't: read 1984 again: reason is being redefined and political correctness is the new rationality. We are being conditioned into a whole new discriminatory way of thinking, deeply destructive of our current culture.
I don't see the Tories as addressing this at all. Is Mr Gove looking at what goes on the teacher training, in detail, actual looking at crazily pc syllabuses, getting more so by the year?

Sharon, Wycombe, UK

We should import more Chinese. The average IQ in China is 10 points higher than the average IQ in Europe.

John Small, Faversham, UK

Gove may look a drip (third only to Balls & Adonis),but he can think clearly.The Tories are worth backing for their proposals on education.

Dr Michael John Parkinson, Tewkesbury, England

I am a teacher. I have always used phonics. I have also used other methods if they were proving effective. I have and will use any way I can to get children to read ,especially if left to get on with it. There is no magic set of answers. There are many ways of learning and one needs to adjust to children's needs.

However,I am constantly told what to do, and berated if I do not do it .....then told I am foolish for doing it soon afterwards. I don't know any teachers who have ever been asked what they think is effective. Many teachers disagreed with policies they were forced to follow but told they were useless teachers if they didn't.

I see no change in this, whether labour or conservative, just a different set of people telling us what to do and how awful we are for doing what we were told to do last time!

Philip, Birmingham,

When will politicians stop blaming teachers for the problems in education and be brave enough to put the blame at the parents who do not value or help with their childs education, and the policy of inclusion, This results in the education of many pupils being ruined by disruptives who mainstream schools are forced to keep or swap from school to school

Ian Mason, Hartlepool, UK