Politeia’s report Teachers Matter is based in part on the resurrection of the idea that primary teachers need A-levels in subjects they teach - in particular maths and English. In theory, eminently sensible; in practice, nonsensical, as Gerard Kelly’s editorial implies (“Nuances lacking in ill-judged bout of teacher-bashing”, July 31).

Without a radical change to the current class-teacher system or the reduction of the primary curriculum to just two subjects, this would imply that would-be primary teachers require 10 or 11 A-levels - far more, I am sure, than any of Politeia’s contributors ever managed to achieve.

Professor Colin Richards, Spark Bridge, Cumbria.