One word to describe Ofsted and the government

How depressing to read that the government sees “significant benefits” with Ofsted’s four grades in that they provide “a succinct and accessible summary for parents” (Ruth Perry family furious as Ofsted single-word ratings are retained, 25 April).

Clearly my 50-plus years of involvement in the education service has not led to a population capable of dealing with more than one-word summaries – hence my depression. Even greater is my outrage that it appears of lesser relevance to the government that such summaries may not be accurate or complete. It is time for the educational system to rise up in protest at this insensitivity.
Ken Wales
Preston

• As the saying goes, to label is to libel. Even when inspectors’ opinions are well-grounded, it is as inappropriate for Ofsted to libel schools with one-word judgments, as it is for teachers to label and libel pupils, especially by telling those who struggle that they need improvement or, worse still, are simply inadequate.
Anthony Lawton
Market Harborough, Leicestershire

• What’s good enough for schools is good enough for the government, so perhaps you could invite readers to send in their one‑word summaries of the current administration’s performance? Mine has five letters beginning with “sh” and ending with “te” but I’m sure other more articulate readers can think of better ones.
Ed Griffiths
Cambridge

• If party manifestos were reduced to a single word, what would we have? Tories: incompetent. Labour: inspirational. Liberal Democrats: ineffectual. But then I’m biased.
Hugh Levinson
London

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