The doom-and-gloom scenario he paints about the relationship of higher education with the TTA is far from the truth.

We work closely and in partnership with individual universities and others who are interested in improving the quality of teacher training.

We involve our key partners in work that we develop.

Examples include the professional framework of qualifications and standards, and the national curriculum for initial teacher training that we launched this week.

What particularly concerns me, however, is his outrageous and wholly inaccurate accusation that the TTA threatens, through its funding powers, to “remove” ( his words, not mine) those institutions that disagree with particular TTA policy initiatives.

The only people who need fear our funding decisions are poor or mediocre providers of training, and that is good for the higher education sector, schools and, of course, pupils.

ANTHEA MILLET

Chief Executive Teacher Training Agency Stag Place London SW1