The view of a young person disclosed in a survey for the Government’s Children and Young People’s Unit.

“He has been caught with his ideological trousers down.”

Chris Woodhead, former Chief Inspector of Schools, on the disclosure that the Prime Minister’s children have private tuition..

Sunday Telegraph, July 7.

“It is not enough simply to say that all primary school children should have prizes; the very rules of the main sports need to be rewritten. In tennis, for example, aces should not count and, if an umpire rules that the ball should have gone over the net, then he or she should be allowed to award the point to Tim Henman. Similarly in football, goals should be disallowed if they are the result of an obvious goalkeeping error. That should even things up a bit.”

The Independent reflecting on news of the world’s first “pupil-friendly” exams, July 8.

“I know of at least one school whose place in the league tables is due almost entirely to the array of tutors employed by parents evening after evening. Headteachers flaunt these results as a tribute to the excellent standards of teaching in the school.”

Alan Savitz, lecturer, Liverpool University, in a letter toThe Times, July 8.

“The trouble is that the criticism he (Tony Blair) faces is part of the prejudice, dogma and self-interest which has so disfigured the education debate for 30 years. It’s time to call a halt to all that outdated rubbish - education is too important to be a political plaything. The time has come to get serious.”

Stewart Steven, The Mail on Sunday, July 7.

“Why should the boys be warm in winter and not the girls?”

John Dunford, of the Secondary Heads Association, on the Equal Opportunities Commission’sproposals to challenge policy on school uniforms.

London Evening Standard,July 4