Many of us then teaching in art and design became aware of the shift towards a greater proportion of students from affluent backgrounds in the early 1990s (Suzanne Moore, 18 April; Letters, 20 April). The downgrading of the subject in secondary education will only make the situation worse for less fortunate students.
But, the greatest loss will be to Britain’s future, not only in the visual and design context but in music, performance, writing etc, areas which in the 1960s benefited hugely from the work of the art schools. The tighter specification of many current courses does not provide the broader potential that supported those of us who studied in art schools in the 60s and 70s.
David Cockayne
Lymm, Cheshire
