Following on from CB’s article under his “As I See It” column (AV 3 January), I would like to report that I have now published over 250 letters in AV, and a few in GS. No mean feat this!
I try to make my letters interesting and informative while staying within the 250 words limit. Having worked all my life in the education field - first a teacher in Dar-es-Salaam, then a demonstrator at the University of East London, followed by over three decades in the Department for Education, I try to express my concerns at the way education is shapiing up in this country and how it affects our children.
In a job market where covert and even overt discrimination still persists, our children need to be armed with higher educational qualifications in order to get a bigger bite at the cherry. Otherwise in a highly competitive environment where in many instances the colour of the skin determines who lands plum jobs, they will not get a chance to succeed.
I am grateful to AV and GS for affording people like me a platform to express their views or vent their frustations. Not many weeklies provide such space to their readers! “Your Voice” and “Tamari Vaat” columns are unique and not matched by other newspapers. Not only do they give readers a sense of belonging but also provide a forum for discussion on current topics.
So roll on my fellow letter writers!
Dinesh Sheth
Newbury Park, Ilford
