As last week’s editorial points out (“Say hello to 2011, where it’s Bac to the future and a zooby new world of phonics phanaticism”) 2011 promises to be both “zooby” and zany. It will be zappy, too, as the Government zaps one worthwhile educational initiative after another in order to save money. But some clever joined-up thinking could be used here.

Education secretary Michael Gove wants to impose a reading check for six-year-olds using phonically correct words that are not English, despite the widespread opposition to the tests also featured in last week’s paper.

Schools minister Nick Gibb wants to encourage the teaching of Latin in primary schools. So why not design a simple, cheap reading check which only involves Latin? Simplex, as a Roman meerkat might say.

Professor Colin Richards, Spark Bridge, Cumbria.