I felt quite sick when I read the "Pat on the back" letter on March 1.

The letter, from Councillor Ken Bodfish (Queens Park) to another, Pat Hawkes (chair of the children, families and schools committee), congratulated Coun Hawkes "for the manner in which she steered a very difficult issue through". He was referring to the committee vote to support the new secondary schools admission mechanism.

I guess congratulations are in order from Mr Bodfish's perspective, as gerrymandered catchment areas might make his party a bit more popular in some locations.

As for "steering" though, I would use the word bludgeon. In her role, Coun Hawkes took no prisoners, forgetting the contribution of committee members who had researched this controversial change over many months and reached the conclusion that it needed more work.

I'm not so sure the people of our city will feel congratulations appropriate next year when parents wake up and find their right to choose has gone.

In early September 2008 there will be gridlock caused by children who previously would have walked being driven by their parents to an allocated school.

  • Cliff Munn, Lowther Road, Brighton