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As ever post-clearing, we are privy to the annual whinge about the decline and fall of British education standards. But out there where real students live, there are hopeful voices, rejoicing hearts, aspiring minds and soaring spirits, a number of whom we have been delighted to recruit to our programmes because we believe otherwise than the merchants of gloom about what we offer and what our students achieve.

Those of us who look positively on the contemporary generation are indebted to Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam (In the news, THES , August 16) for providing some sorely needed facts about what really matters in education - "evidence of talent".

William Keenan
Head of sociology
Nottingham Trent University