HAS Worcestershire County Council gone mad? It has one of the country's top Directors of Education and yet, according to your story of last Saturday, are proposing to allow him to retire because they are abolishing his post!

Who will speak for the children, teachers, parents and governors of the county when Mr Kramer is gone? His achievements have been acknowledged at national level; he is dedicated, enthusiastic and committed.

Yet one of this government's misguided policies, that of replacing Directors of Education with those of Children's Services, is slavishly followed by a council that is happy enough to take the excellent Ofsted and Audit Commission reports that Mr Kramer's work did so much to achieve.

Mr Kramer will no doubt take his abilities somewhere they will be appreciated; Worcester's education service will soon regret his going.

I am unfortunate enough to live near one of the worst-ranked LEAs in the country and am aware of the difference that can be made by a dynamic director; how sad that Worcestershire County Council is so ready to dispense with the talents of its most successful senior officer.

J M THOMAS,

Mapperley Plains,

Nottingham