Letter: Not that simple

In his somewhat self-congratulatory letter (8 December), Peter Hogan, headmaster of Loretto School, implies that his staff might be more willing than staff at other schools to turn up and keep the school open in adverse weather conditions. He states that "Loretto has not shut for a single day".

Commendable as this sounds, his school's own website boasts a staff to pupil ratio of about one to nine. Such a ratio would easily allow those teachers who have turned up to supervise extra pupils, should colleagues be absent, and still be well within the minimum staff-to-pupil ratio legally required to keep a school open.

Many state schools operate on staff-to-pupil ratios of about one to 25, and, consequently, any staff absence has a greater impact on the ability of these schools to stay open. It is not as straightforward as the "willingness" of staff determining whether a school gets closed.

(MRS) JENNIFER SHEARER

Cargilfield View

Edinburgh