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My anger turned to sadness when I read Alan Ryan's article. In the 1960s, as an 11-plus failure and without an O level in mathematics, I gained a Teachers' Certificate followed by a BEd. During my successful years of teaching, I achieved an MSc and recently have embarked on science courses via the Open University.

My background is not unusual. Not all of us possess a broad range of abilities or respond equally to the same educational processes, so some find it difficult to achieve in all disciplines.

At the time when GCSE, AS and A-level results are published, we should be celebrating students' successes. Some students may be the products of families who for the first time are benefiting from education.

If Ryan's views prevailed among all admissions tutors, many young people would be denied the opportunities they deserve.

Oxford University seems to remain an "ivory tower" where some staff hold unrepresentative views about the talents of our population.

Joan Percival
Retired, Southampton