SO one in five children is failing to master the three Rs by the time they are seven years old.

How dreadful. Perhaps they should do 10-hour days at school, or even go in on Saturday to do “revision”.

We could always get them to hold a pencil while still in the pram — give them a head start? Or ban play times.

And, blow me, “the girls outsmarted the boys in all subjects”. So “there is lots more work to do”. How about blaming the teachers? That’s always a popular one.

Why not eventually realise that children — especially boys— need life skills, self esteem, fun and quality play if they are to progress?

Some of our successful neighbours in Europe don’t start school until they are seven. Why do we want to push our children so hard — it’s obvious it isn’t working?

Let’s stop dressing children up as teenagers; let’s stop them carrying a large backpack to school in the dark hours of the morning.

We used to have quality nursery and infant education in our country.

Where did it all go wrong? Was it maybe that our government took over the job?

Alwynne Cartmell Little Lever