CHRISTINE Blower is right to reassert union policy on education action zones (TES, February 5). Members of the newly-elected committee of the Oxfordshire division of the National Union of Teachers are astonished that our general secretary is currently negotiating with Oxfordshire County Council to become a partner in a zone. Certainly, Oxford NUT members have not given their backing to such a venture. Until there has been consultation with our members it cannot be said that there is agreement or disagreement with the suggestion that the NUT takes part in a zone bid.

The current position is that the Oxfordshire division remains firmly opposed to what our general secretary has identified as the most right-wing anti-educational initiative in 20 years.

Phil Chesterton, President, Oxfordshire NUT, co 3 Castle Crescent, Shellingford. Nigel Nicholas, co 87 Gibson Close, Abingdon, Oxfordshire