The purpose of education
Sir: I believe Anthony Burgess lives in East Sussex. If he had done his homework among this county's schools he might have found that things had changed, and have been hard put to find any 'imparting mainly utilitarian skills, gradgrinding out technicians.' He could have heard, as I have, the singing of Britten, Menotti, Handel and music composed by the children themselves, in every type of secondary school; seen Murder in the Cathedral and Peer Gynt; read Martin, a remark- able collection of recent writing; or seen a dazzling exhibition of painting, pottery, collage and sculp- ture at Lewes last November. I could even, with pleasure, introduce him to a maverick teacher or two.
I arm amazed that so much inspired teaciling is done in state schools by people who are always being told they are a dreary lot of hacks. Many— perhaps most—are marvellous.
Nancy Milner-Gulland Cumnor House, Danehill, Sussex
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