5 JULY 1957, Page 30

ELEVEN PLUS SIR.—The impressions of the eleven plus examination by

'Grammar School Master' are as accurate as they are vivid. Nobody has ever satisfactorily explained why children taking the examination have to sit in an unfamiliar classroom, beside unfamiliar neigh- bours, presided over by an unfamiliar teacher. It is hard to avoid the impression that authorities silently suspect that an examination tackled on home ground would create cheating to which (heaven forbid) the primary school teacher might even become a party.

Your contributor did his best to remove tension, but it never occurred to him to remove his gown although he admits that 'it is probably the first time that they have ever seen anyone wearing one.' But then it was January and perhaps he felt cold.—Yours faithfully,