Martin Wainwright (The good book, July 24) writes of "an ex-policeman with a grand total of four GCEs (the vanished, sub-O-level exam for thickies) ... "
Some small amount of research would have led to the discovery that the GCE was the O-level; the CSE was often offered to those school students who had not always performed well under exam conditions. To imply that the CSE was a "sub-O-level exam for thickies" is at best a simplification and at worst a grubby, elitist slur.
The CSE provided an opportunity to earn marks by continuous assessment and I would like to see how it compares to the GCSEs undertaken by 16-year-olds this year. The Guardian should know better, rant, rant ...
Joy Cadwallader
University of Aberyswyth
