I AGREE with every word of Tom Copper's letter about failing schools (HAS, Jan 21). Pupils of such schools are being thrown on the scrapheap before they've even left school. Many will leave poorly educated, semi-illiterate, and with poor employment prospects.

Some will get a job in factory which will eventually relocate overseas, or find themselves sacked and replaced by cheaper migrant labour. Others will be unemployable, becoming part of the growing number of the nation's young forced to live off benefits or end up involved in crime.

Darlington's Alan Milburn (Echo, Jan 17), like all MPs, is aware there is only a limited amount of money within government funds, but reflects the attitude of many MPs in that the education, welfare and future of those pupils and schools which do not make government policies look good are someone else's problem.

Holding the Olympics and various other projects which this nation doesn't want and cannot afford comes at the expense of good schools, healthcare, law enforcement, care homes for the elderly, pensions, etc - because to this Government image is everything.

CT Riley, Spennymoor, Co Durham.