When I read the standfirst “The education secretary is looking to the former Soviet Union for inspiration for his new maths free schools ...” (“From Russia, with Gove”, 13 April) I was intrigued to discover why he thought dropping maths from the curriculum would be a good idea. I quickly realised that it was merely my reading of the phrase. But why was I momentarily deceived? Perhaps it is because even such apparently ludicrous pronouncements no longer surprise.

Alan Parker, Former director of education and schools adjudicator, Croydon.