Letter: Mr Patten should have known better

Sir: The Department for Education's large advertisement in today's edition (27 April) is headlined, 'It's nice to know when your child's doing well. It's essential to know when he's not'. The footnote is, 'Better information for better education'. My children would receive a better education if the funds used for this and other PR exercises were spent directly on their education.

Perhaps the department could give us details of the amount it spends on advertising, producing and printing party political booklets for parents and running a free phone line. There are more than a few schools that would know how to spend the money to the greater educational advantage of our children.

Yours faithfully,

LAURA LASSMAN

London, N12