It would be good to have an impartial editor, one who presents a balanced picture without the need for subjectivity. Is Mr Kelly’s ancestry akin to the Thatcher lineage or is the sycophantic drivel that constitutes his editorial really his considered view? (“Free schools are a sideshow ...”, 28 January).

Perhaps Mr Kelly should visit a high school in an area of socioeconomic deprivation and witness first-hand both the excellent job our teachers are doing in “raising standards” and the problems that they have to contend with.

We are currently achieving the best educational outcomes for our children in the history of education. Mr Kelly seems to have consulted the same group of selected headteachers that Mr Gove is apparently grooming. A truer picture would be achieved by getting the views of teachers. NASUWT represents the 275,000 professionals, not the myopic views of the minority developing their own Star Chamber.

Education should be about equal opportunity, not a postcode lottery that all too often benefits those of our society with the advantages of higher salaries. Government should be about the greater good, not free market forces and “let the devil take the hindmost”.

John Rimmer, NASUWT senior vice-president, Warrington.