IN response to your news item on June 5, it begs the question how on earth did we ever get to this stage?

If West Swindon alone can have in excess of 700 surplus places, what is the figure borough-wide at primary level?

Most secondary schools are full to bursting with a number of current Year Six children still not sure where they will be going to school in September.

Perhaps if primary schools are closed, the empty buildings could be utilised to create outreach satellite learning centres for the secondary schools.

This would reduce the unacceptable travelling times some children face, and create more workable environments for the new alternative curriculum teaching and learning methods which are coming in.

I have a strong conviction that a considerable number of behaviour problems in secondary schools are rooted in the fact that a lot of children simply cannot cope with the size and intensity of our overcrowded secondary schools.

A case in point is Gemma Maisey (EA June 4) who has panic attacks about going to school. Poor girl shouldn't even know the meaning of the phrase 'panic attack' at her age, let alone suffer from them.

The secondary school place crisis has only come about because Swindon Borough Council only paid lip service to the consultation process over the closure of Oakfield.

They could not justify the decision to parents, students and teachers then and they cannot justify it to Ofsted now.

BARBARA LANGHAM

Wrenswood

Covingham

Swindon