BUCKS Parents for Comprehensive Education have arranged a public meeting at 8pm on Wednesday, January 31, to be held at the Multi-cultural Centre, Station Way, Aylesbury, with the title Fairness for All Bucks Pupils Means Comprehensive Education?

It will be addressed by Tony Brockman, president of the National Union of Teachers, and to put an opposing point of view we have invited Cllr. Mike Appleyard, chairman of Bucks Education Committee.

We only heard on January 10 that their petition threshold figure (i.e. the number of signatures needed on a petition to trigger a ballot) is 18,453.

Petition leaflets can be obtained from Mike Cole (01494 716051).

18,453 signatures is a massive hurdle for us to cross and it is disgraceful that we have only been told it five months after the beginning of the petition but we are on our way.

It is ridiculous that schools cannot send out the petition but we hope PTAs will do so. We have already had street stalls collecting signatures in Chesham and High Wycombe and plan more in Aylesbury and Buckingham.

We trust Mike Appleyard will be prepared to stand up, be counted and accept the challenge to debate the end of selection in Bucks.

Malcolm Horne, Media secretary, Bucks Parents for Comprehensive Education

Orchard Grove, Chalfont St Peter