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David Willetts 's inclusion of critical thinking in his "cruel trick" and "mishmash" Remarks on A-Level courses (A-level results: Joy for some, but "a cruel trick' leaves other deprived, 19 August) shows a degree of ignorance, which describes all too familiar, which is involved in teaching and assessment of this difficult subject. Unfortunately, it is by Professor Alan Smithers at Buckingham University, the critical thinking as a "soft topic "especially with" comprehensive schools ... by the need maximum points in ranked score \ influenced, "and agreed taken by" Young people who haven 't been in traditional subjects \ good "No school with the knowledge of the proportion of A grades in critical thinking. - stubbornly in single figures - it would be a soft option or pressure students to take it to their league table standings massage.

Many students who are very good at the traditional subjects struggle with the logical thinking and abstract concepts required by critical thinking. Teachers who feel they deliver the course to be very challenging, which is probably one reason why the posts have fallen, not risen.

Universities and employers 'organizations have demanded for decades for a skill-based complement to knowledge-intensive skills. Hardly a university institute brochure goes to press without the term "critical thinking" in the teaching goals. Many offer in the first year undergraduate courses in critical thinking, which can not be seen but for entry purposes. At the same top Russell Group institutions require BMAT - a challenging critical thinking and problem solving award - for admission to medical wards, also with the LNAT law; Oxford PSA award with the TSA. Cambridge Assessment published research has shown that on average students, critical thinking and something better grades in their "classic" themes than those not taking it.

If there is a cruel trick is that the show is still in influential positions, so little regard for fact, and so little respect for the teachers who worked to improve higher order thinking skills in their students. I invite the professor and the minister and all the licensing authorities are reading this, look around at the critical thinking curriculum - even better, participate in the trial - and then make a ruling.

John Butterworth

Chief Examiner and co-author of Thinking Skills (CUP)

. In your article on this year 's A-level results, you declare that the Government proposes "a review of career guidance in schools, requires all schools to their pupils access to independent and impartial advice "offer. The "Overhaul" in fact means that already under-funded vocational guidance is again hacked: \ young people's legal right to vocational training and guidance will be abolished, £ 200 a year earlier, the service is assigned to be scrapped, the pathetic under-funded Connexions service was dismantled and guidance is placed in the hands of the schools to be based within their existing hard-pressed budgets. The only "access" limited nationally funded telephone and Web-based services. While the Government is recommended that schools appropriate professional advice, history shows that usually pays less attention to this aspect of education to ensure Ofsted.

This decimation of the guidance is surprising given the circumstances - Thousands of young people refused places at our universities, just days after thousands of young people in our cities rioted. Even more astonishing is the attempt to present it as a positive "Overhaul". No wonder the government 's Career Services Advisory Board considers own resignation en masse - a U-turn on this policy is urgently needed.

Professor Helen Colley

Manchester Metropolitan University

. The juxtaposition of your coverage of the A-level results and the government 's plans for the future of higher education in addition to your praise for the musician and composer, Brahms reveals a deep irony (Editorial, August 19).

Besides being a brilliant composer, Brahms was a virtuoso. Many of those who come carrying his and other works at the London Proms, and thousands of other music, theater and other creative arts 'Performer of the boards this summer is their expertise in specialty school designed for music and have performing arts colleges and academies, to make the British cultural scene is one of the most dynamic in the world. Selection for this research universities is through audition and interview, not through the crude mechanism of A-level classes, which show only rarely sufficient underlying creative talent. Judge at an audition experts from practice, not only can the current talents of an individual, but their future potential.

All this is in danger when the government exerting 's reforms in higher education institutions try the tight corset of strength dependence on A-level grades to choose from. A University of limited entry system, the operation would be after the publication of A-level results completely impractical logistics of organizing auditions and interviews for the thousands of potentially outstanding performing arts students, where the A-level grade tells us very little . produce The government needs to rethink it again if we are to receive the rich vein of creative talent so prominently in this time of year.

Mike Milne-picking

Academic Registrar, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester

. Since the Higher Education Funding Council for England has confirmed that general studies at A-level equivalent with another department to be counted not recognize when recording figures of AAB participants at odds underlying control student numbers, the universities that they do not ( and other subjects) for entry purposes, morally consistent and not recognize it in this other context?

Professor Ian McNay

Emeritus Professor, Higher Education and Management, University of Greenwich

. As the parent of a (very successful, state-school teaching) A-level candidate, I have \ read your coverage of this year's results with interest. I now feel compelled to draw your attention, "Sharing the public school / private school subject" on the absurdity of such a headline like \ draw.

Private schools select their students in two ways. First, they subject them to various academic tests, with the most reputable schools selecting students that fall within the top few percent of the ability range. Second, they choose them by the parents' income, the fact that, by definition, they choose to students whose parents value education. Statistically, these parents are probably also have achieved even more for academic success. It is therefore quite surprising that such students would choose both more traditional "academic" subjects and more likely to achieve A * grades. One could argue that achieving a premium of only 30% v 8% A * A * represents a relative failure for private schools, given the baseline performance level of their students.

Finally, casting a negative light on state pupils in this way is strong evidence that close to ignore, as like-for-like A-levels on entry, pupils are to achieve state rather high at degree level. If I had the responsibility for access to higher education, I would consider discounting private school grades A * to be less valuable than the public school students achieved.

Kath Checkland

Hope Valley, Derbyshire

Free - . In all the talk about students who have received their university places, I have no reference to the fact that British citizens are entitled to look to study at universities in other EU countries. We have an enterprising young English friend who is currently an IT degree at a university in Sweden. There are no fees to pay, because he is an EU citizen. The course is very good, there is financial help with various things, the quality of life is very good and he has a beautiful Swedish girlfriend. Moreover, although he has learned Swedish, all lectures in English, as is the case when there are English speakers in the class. When asked why more and more young Brits don 't follow this path, he replied, "Because they don' t know that they \." A-level students about such compelling opportunities should be pointed out, what is even more attractive in 2012.

Susan Tomes

London

. In the emphasis on a "traditional subjects" for the state curriculum so that students can gain more easily provides access to leading universities, David Willetts, a further impoverishment of our cultural life. Topics such as media and cultural studies are not "soft" options, even if Willetts and some elite universities might think so, and they are crucial arenas for the analysis because a number of recent events (telephone hacking, unrest ) might suggest. Could it be that elite schools and universities to their privileged position by claiming some putative high ground for the scientific work to keep to - or perhaps that the rigorous academic subjects such as media and cultural studies might be a little well-founded criticism of a society that has such a venture powerful hierarchy of elite institutions?

Tricia Cusack

Birmingham

. As head of media studies at a school I am a bit frustrated that my subject is again treated as a "soft". Media Sciences is often subject to as "Mickey", but I can say that the only time that I respect Mickey Mouse in the classroom, Jean Baudrillard 's theory of Disneyfication of the media world in relation to his notions of simulacra and simulacrum , with particular reference to the hegemonic model of conglomerate media ownership. Not like a soft issue, after all, but we attacked with all the academic rigor it deserves.

Gary Kaye

Leeds

. David Willetts has it from back to front, when he castigates schools that promote student "a" mishmash 'A-level subjects enter ". With" mishmash "he is, combinations of subjects developed since the Victorian Birth of education have moved. He would rather criticize the backward and ignorant universities for their "cruel trick 'to remain the gold standard of the" classic themes "married. Today' s teacher to law students encourage to take advantage of the improved facilities on offer and to follow their passions. Mr. Willetts, universities, lambast their ignorant, outdated ideas to distinguish between areas of knowledge. For example, let him explain, and the universities, as the study of film is less than the academic literature.

David Cross

Leicester

. So, learning to think critically is "not recognized by most universities"? Speaks volumes.

Deirdre Mason

London

. Each year, lies in this week of the summer, the focus on A-level results and university entrance. While not wanted by the effort and success of those who chose this path, we should not forget the hard work and achievements of those who should receive the results divert their professional studies. These young people to achieve success through full-time or part-time study in higher education institutions or at work.

The focus on the university's attention and resources away from the career path and redirected dismantled the very successful technical universities and colleges, the flexibility to put full-time or part-time study in the surrounding environment. She gave a course of study for students of all abilities and aptitudes. To a large extent these institutions, the universities have changed, and now no way to provide training for those who study part-time, or those who are not owned or want to study for A-levels. With reports now that the employers would be non-graduates prefer to work experience than graduates (report of 17 August) it is now time to step back and look at a fully comprehensive further and higher education, which serve the expectations of all our school to school leavers and the needs of employers.

Mike Parr

Bath