Articles which have recently appeared relating to Devizes School and Lavington School give rise to grave concern about both establishments.

Some weeks ago Mrs Greed made reference to her experience of pupils using horse tranquilliser as a stimulant and stated in your columns that she was not referring to Lavington School. In an interview in the Independent on Sunday she repeats these allegations using the first person, implying that this is a personal experience. Was that experience gained at Lavington or not?

We now learn of the alleged gun incident at the school. In this instance a number of serious crimes seem to have been committed: theft and possession of a firearm, threat to life and tolerance of drug trading. This was apparently followed by a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by not reporting these matters to the police, not to mention the disposal of the weapon. Was Mrs Greed a party to this conspiracy? If not, why did she feel bound by the decision?

At Devizes School it was not foreseeable that what should have been an unpleasant but minor incident would escalate into a tragedy. Again a number of questions remain unanswered. Why were the children who created this situation not under proper supervision and why have they not been punished for their irresponsible behaviour? Evidence at the inquest indicates that a teacher was close at hand: one of the boys is reported to have shouted, "Sir, sir, he assaulted me". Hardly the cry of a child who had been pushed or punched, more that of a provocateur who has achieved his objective. Mr Irons calls the police to one party but fails to exercise his authority over the real culprits.

What example is being set by those responsible for our schools and where do the governors stand in all this? The chairpersons of both governing bodies have been remarkably silent; perhaps it is time they spoke.

A. J. Duck

Devizes