Let's ditch the 11-plus exam and give pupils the breathing space they need

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While I watched Johnson’s announcement on Sunday night, it confirmed what I already suspected. Those in year five were unlikely to return to school this academic year and will lose almost five months of schooling.

The 11-plus has always been a contentious issue. As a mother who has been through it twice “successfully”, as a school governor and a GP, I have seen the mental stresses that it places on both students and families.

An 11-plus exam at much sought after Queen Elizabeth grammar school involves over 2,000 candidates. Trying to do this practically, in a safe manner, will be an extraordinary task. Among the obvious safeguards, schools must also protect vulnerable teachers and the parents who bring their children to the exam. Any mass gathering could be a potential drain of resources for the NHS. In addition, we know the 11-plus favours those who can afford the books, courses, mock exams and weekly tutors – who can charge up to £100 an hour.

In a time of financial hardship and the effect of social isolation on mental health, it’s time to abandon exams this year.

Afrosa Ahmed​
Harrow

Mixed messages

The travel minister Grant Shapps stated, in light of the improved air quality during lockdown, the government would be investing in widening the pavements in streets and introducing more cycle lanes. This is an effort to encourage people to use their cars less, and to either walk or cycle to work and to keep pollution levels down. This is understandable.

Then on Sunday, Boris Johnson gave a “sketch” of a new plan to ease lockdown. One of these plans is to allow people to go outdoors more than once a day to exercise, to sit in the sun and to drive a car to a destination.

If people are allowed to drive a car to a destination, then the southwest will be flooded with visitors, and in turn, there will be a spread of the disease!

More clarity is required. This last bank holiday weekend, we have seen many second homeowners visiting their second homes, without a care for those people who are self-isolating and shielding within the area around them.

Janine Hyatt
Shielding

Personal responsibility

We seem to have reached the point where we are going to have to start coming to terms with the fact that the world that we have built over decades and centuries cannot accommodate us in two-meter diameter personal bubbles. Public transport, shops, factories, offices: none of them will work on that basis. So, we will all have to up our game in terms of personal hygiene to protect ourselves and those around us. Government, transport companies, employers and so on can help, but it is mainly up to us. Just as it has been in this lockdown.

Cloth face masks, scrupulous hand washing, catching coughs and sneezes in paper tissues, keeping a meter away from people when in conversation. To paraphrase JFK, don’t ask how your country can protect you, ask how you can protect your country.

Bernard Cudd​
Morpeth

Conflicting advice

Whose advice should we follow? Nicola Sturgeon, Mark Drakeford, indeed Andy Burnham locally, in our devolved authorities – or the latest about-turn of Johnson’s nonsense as seen on the Hancock’s Half Hour show?

Do you think 100,000 people would sign up to a parliamentary petition saying we are going to stay at home and we have no confidence in the current Westminster government?

John Nicholson
Manchester

Travel requirements

My son and his partner need to renew their US work visas in June (which has to be done outside the US) and they had planned to travel to London and stay in company accommodation for two weeks during the renewal process. The new quarantine measures prevent this. Can they travel to Paris and take a Eurostar to London to circumvent what appear to be nonsensical regulations?

Chris Sakalas​
Leicester

The many, not the few

We have to accept the unpalatable truth that too many of the 1 per cent – multinationals, digitals, banks, pharmaceuticals, offshore-based billionaires, stock markets etc – are not really concerned whether 5 per cent or 10 per cent of the population die from the Covid-19 so long as they maintain their privileges and continue making fortunes by avoiding paying taxes.

The only protectors are our governments, which can and should stop greed and speculation in all its forms. But too many politicians tend to represent the 1 per cent rather than the people, if they are not actually working for them.

To save the planet those representing the 99 per cent must raise their voices and act to prevent corporations from profiting from the Covid-19 and make sure drugs, vaccines, protective equipment, and so forth are made available to every hospital and citizen at the lowest cost possible. There should be massive fines for overpricing and saving lives and jobs should become the priority.

Peter Fieldman​
Madrid