WITH reference to T Seale’s letter (HAS, Mar 5) regarding the lack of general knowledge within our young adults.

During my time in business I had the use of young lads through the YTS scheme, a couple of whom I kept on as apprentices.

Each time a got a new lad I used to quiz them during general conversation to try and assess his academic level. The results were very illuminating.

One lad quizzed on his mental arithmetic answered me by stating fractions were just coming out when he left school.

Another lad was having trouble with the same subject. I tried another tack thinking that if I changed numbers to money he might get his head round the division problem. My question was “If you had £5 to share between yourself and two mates how much would you each get.”

Ah, he said “that’s easy I’d get 2 quid and the other two would get £1.50 each.” Nothing wrong with that I thought and laughed.

Asking one new lad some general knowledge questions, I asked what happened in 1066, after some thought he said “did we win the world cup?” I could write a book.

Alan Barrass, Shildon