I was saddened to see the way you reported the row over school allocations (Evening Press, March 4).

Parents must by now realise that while they can exercise their preference, there can never be a guarantee that their children will enter the school of their choice.

The vagaries of school league tables and parental whims have put paid to that.

The city council is quite right to amend its school admissions policies so that at least parents can have more confidence of getting their children in other local schools.

During this transition period however, for your paper to print a front page story in which it repeatedly names the school to which some parents do not want to send their children, is retrograde and thoughtless.

Reporting of this kind undermines the morale of staff and pupils and does nothing to help improve school standards.

I have worked with staff and students at Burnholme Community College and they are a credit to their school and the city.

Paul Osborne,

Sustrans,

Wilton Rise,

York.

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