Two basic errors are shown in your picture of a science lesson at a grammar school (Morgan warns plans could undo six years of reform, 10 September). First, the Bunsen burner is wrongly adjusted, heating the flask with a yellow flame, which will deposit soot on the gauze under the flask, is inefficient, and is never used for heating. Second, the young man appears to be about to lift the flask using a test tube holder, which is designed for holding very light test tubes when heating, not a full 100ml flask, which probably weighs around 200g and could easily slip out of a test tube holder, smashing the glass and showering students and teachers with hot, possibly corrosive, liquid. A superior education?
Max Fishel
Assistant headteacher and science teacher, London
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