ONCE again we have the August A- level results lottery. A 96 per cent pass mark with just four per cent failure level.

We must have the brainiest, most hardworking young people in the world. No going out in the evenings or weekends, just hard swotting for those elusive A-grade passes.

Let me quote the words of a lad called Britain's brainiest schoolboy - William Wheeler from Oxford who followed his astonishing achievement of 16 A levels in his GCSE exams in 2002 with eight As in this year's exams.

"I've seen A-level papers from 20 years ago and they seem to be much harder. They had tougher questions requiring more independent thought." He said pupils are now "spoon-fed" answers, helped along by teachers and can even take text books into the examination room.

It is now virtually impossible for universities to pick out the brightest pupils and this is a shame because in the future we need the greatest minds and top people to lead our country.

Congratulations to those who worked really hard and justly gained top grades - but I feel sorry for those who know they did little, but also won A's.

Reform is needed and quickly.

Bryan R Lawson,

Burton Fields Road,

Stamford Bridge, York.

Updated: 10:07 Thursday, August 26, 2004