Dear Editor,

The Minister of Education must know that my only interest in writing a letter about the five senior officials of the ministry now on leave was that the government should be protected from a thoughtless statement attempting to excuse obvious (to everyone that is but the minister) mismanagement of the ministry's personnel.

But the minister now enlightens us. He tells us that because the minister believes his statement is the truth that makes it the truth. Therefore, he says, it is GINA's bounden duty to reveal this truth to the nation.

Careful, Mr Minister, that's the sort of logic that makes for dictatorships.

Actually, far from disparaging my colleagues in the GINA, they have my sympathy. As for wanting their job, I'm afraid it would be completely beyond my professional capabilities.

But, not to worry. The nation's parents can rest at ease. The minister says that sending off on leave the ministry's five most senior officers at the same time will neither `increase or decrease' the problems within his ministry, and since the minister says it's so then it must be so.