THE huge complacency shown by Labour councillor Dan Jeffrey (letter, August 26) about educational standards in this country is compounded by his cheap-shot party political pointscoring and sarcastic comment about trying to turn the clock back to the 1950s.

Less than a year ago an OECD survey of adult skills showed the shocking record of recent Governments of all political persuasions which has led to England having among the lowest results in the industrialised world in international literacy and numeracy tests. The report showed that this is the only country in the survey in which results are going backwards for 16- to 24 year-olds.

Our younger generation is actually less competent in the ‘3Rs’ than the 55 to 65 age group. So much for politicians telling us since the late 1980s that ever-improving exam results represented a genuine improvement in standards.

The time has come for an open and honest debate on these issues and it is to be hoped that people like Dan Jeffrey will start to behave like an informed adult, to make a useful contribution to this process.

DOROTHY FUDGE, Totton.