Students can't win

The shock of last week was that A-level pass rates had risen to a ludicrously high 96%, so exams must be getting easier. And the shock this week is that GCSE pass rates have fallen to an unacceptably low 97%, so students must be getting thicker (Business leaders condemn exam system, August 23). Make your minds up - and stop taking cheap shots at hard-working students.
Christine Berry
(A-level student) Birmingham

I find it hard to believe that even Rabelais would have wanted to incinerate a child (Letters, August 24). Perhaps the quote Ms Winterbottom had in mind was: "A child's mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled," usually ascribed to Plato.
Phillip Williams Beaumaris, Anglesey

I note with interest two of your headlines yesterday, "Britain in split with US on West Bank homes" and "UK to take tough line against US over Kyoto". Er, is this OK, with Tony being away?
Richard Kimberley
Wirral, Merseyside

There is still a vacancy for an international speaker at the Labour party conference. How about Michael Moore (The beginning of history, August 24)?
Richard Heller
London

I got some blueberries the other day (Blue ribbon berry: US scientist points to health benefits, August 24) by dint of climbing pathless Ben Uamha in the Trossachs: by 500m it certainly felt as if my arteries were unclogging.
Margaret Squires
St Andrews, Fife

My Olympic viewing was rather enlivened by the BBC caption for the Hungarian in the decathlon, "Hun: Attila". So much for security.
Peter Hardwick
Manchester