Pupil participation in the running of schools is a good idea (“Head’s little (paid) helpers”, December 1). I still suspect that involving students in academic courses smacks of putting the lunatics in charge of the asylum. But how about simply running schools more democratically? All secondary heads to be elected by staff rather than appointed by the governors, and all secondary schools to have an elected school council.
I hardly think teachers would elect a head who wanted to drive most of them out of the school, or that pupils would agree to their school being turned into a daytime jail, where they would be barred from going out at lunchtime or where arrogant chefs dictate their diets.
Mark Taha
Sydenham
London
