IT IS welcome that The THES is once again giving attention to issues affecting mature students, but I think you are being unnecessarily and unhelpfully sensationalist. I am hardly one of Dearing's most vociferous critics.
The quotes you use in your lead article (August 1) are taken from a press release the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education put out, headed "Two cheers for Dearing", in which we argue that the Dearing report is an important step towards an adult higher education, but only a very modest one towards a learning society.
That is hardly snubbing the report - and it is clearly the view of the NIACE rather than of the national advisory committee, which has not addressed this issue.
Alan Tuckett
Director NIACE