I WOULD like Alan Milburn to explain to me how taking money away from children in failing schools is going to improve their education (Echo, Jan 17).

These children are often forced to attend these schools and it is not their fault the school is failing. Less money, fewer teachers, fewer assistants and fewer materials. How is that going to help?

As a teacher for many years I know it is the environment within the school, created by the headteacher and his/her management team, that is the determining factor.

Without a structure that encourages learning and demonstrates that school is not just for having fun, children will not learn and teachers cannot teach.

Hurworth School, near Darlington, has demonstrated this and shown what a good head and management team can do. So if Mr Milburn wants to improve schools, let him call for the sacking of failing headteachers and their teams, not the fining of pupils making the schools even more impoverished.

And please, no buying back of contracts. Why should failure be rewarded. Poor teachers are sacked without a large sum of money in their pockets, why should heads be treated differently?

Tom Cooper, Durham.