AS a child in Paddington the first school I attended was a bog standard London County Council school. I was there from about ages five to nine. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the teaching at this school; in fact it was good but suffered by having a difficult catchment area, as some Southampton schools do today.

At the earliest opportunity my parents moved my education to a school in a nearby posher area the other side of the cut' (the Grand Union Canal), which happened to be Church of England.

At this school I attained an 11 Plus mark high enough to attend a school governed by the Worshipful Company of Brewers, having grammar school status.

As a result of attending these schools I have neither become a yob nor a God-monger. So far I have not displayed too many alcoholic tendencies either.

Going by my own experience I would say it does not matter who manages a school, only that it is done in the best way possible to further the educational and future needs of its pupils. As I remain largely unimpressed with the results of secondary education in Southampton over the last few years, I would hesitate to criticise the OASIS initiative before it has been given a chance to prove itself.

I have recently noticed many children of secondary school age roaming the streets during school and term time. By and large they appear to be those who could resent and feel devalued by being in school with more academically gifted peers, possibly getting themselves deliberated excluded as a result.

I am coming to the opinion that our forebears who devised the original three-tier system of secondary schools, grammar, central and secondary modern may have been more perceptive than we have given them credit for.

As I write this I am watching a hooded teenager on an off road motorcycle, with a very young lad on the pillion, doing wheelies and riding quite fast on the walkways of a sheltered housing scheme.

Perhaps if Gordon Brown's wish to build youth clubs in every area ever happens, consideration could be given to matching this with a mini borstal in every area. A nyone who has ever experienced trying to manage donkeys will tell you that both a carrot and stick are required.

ALAN KEBBELL, Southampton.