HAVING seen acres of editorial on the push to improve reading ability in Oxford or is it Oxfordshire, I am confused.

The results for Oxfordshire are pulled down by the Oxford city results – take them out and against published national figures, the county figures are much higher.

So what is going on? Well, there has been an overall improvement over recent years. This must be credited to Michael Waine and the teachers in the county, not much mention of the former by Melinda Tilley.

Also, over many years, ARCh (Assisted Reading for Children) has been working in schools supporting children’s reading, funded by donations from individuals, school budgets and local groups.

They recruit volunteers from the area who then go into schools, and they are always asking for more people to come forward – in this paper and elsewhere.

As an ARCh volunteer, I see many others from the community coming into schools to help with reading but just as important is the boost to the children’s confidence, which must improve their ability to learn.

It seems to me that OCC is a little late to this project and, rather than set up a funded initiative (for now), would it be better to build on what is in place now?

JIM YOUNG, Blythe Place, Bicester