ANTHONY Seldon in the Times (September 21) is really onto something when he says that too many teachers think that cramming heads full of GCSE-think is proper education. He should know as vice chancellor of Buckingham University.

Let's not blame the teachers though. Let's blame a general misunderstanding about what employers want. It really is important to remember that academic achievements can get forgotten pretty quickly. A radical statement? Yes. But just look at the evidence. Every summer now we are subjected to pictures of young people clutching their quadruple A starred results in just about every subject you can think of, and we are supposed to jump for joy too apparently.

But any employer knows that all this paper based achievement is quickly overtaken by the importance of team related daily work tasks and more routine requirements. Also a hundred and one A stars is quickly undervalued by an employee who can hardly say boo to a goose in the office and has no interest whatsoever in solving day to day problems and can't change the proverbial lightbulb. Or simply won't.

I have seen more than one graduate upstaged at work by high energy, formidable school leavers who don't mind having a go and making the odd mistake at the beginning.

In this setting I could refer to myself rather vainly. But only for a second. As the glory is soon gone. I once came top in my postgraduate year in one of three key modules. After being summoned to see the professor, who was having a little snack lunch at his desk at the time, and was congratulated by him, I had plenty of time in the ensuing years to forget all about it. And so did everyone else of course. Because in terms of employability, my IT skills have proved miles and miles more important.

So, why can't the education system learn from this? We don't need endless abstract analytical skills tested in exam situations that forbid collaboration. What we need are employability skills tested in group problem solving situations that mirror the real world to include the all important work environment. How boring. But how interesting. Because it gives those who did not achieve A stars in everything a good chance after all.

Elizabeth Smith

Dursley