Sir – Dr James Powell (Letters, March 10) is wrong to suggest that education has nothing to do with a price tag.

For example, private schools in general can afford to have smaller class sizes, and this confers several proven advantages to a child’s education.

I do however agree with Bruce Ross-Smith (Letters, March 10) that we should strive to provide a higher standard of education for all young people.

Education begins at home and my own experience has taught me that sadly many children don’t seem to receive the parental discipline and encouragement they need to be educatable. I don’t know what the solution is to this one.

Dr Daniel Emlyn-Jones, Oxford