SHOW SOME RESPECT!: AFTER having read the reaction of Hurworth parents to the joining of two schools, do these people not realise we are talking about children?

My son did well in his Sats and is doing well at Eastbourne in spite of the obstacles put in his way. He has many friends, who are equally as clever, and come from homes to be proud of.

Several children, who went to Hurworth and have recently been expelled, have been sent to Eastbourne. If Hurworth did not have problems surely this would never have happened?

Many children and parents and, I am sure, staff are working very hard to ensure that those children who live in the Eastbourne catchment area receive the education they deserve. I feel very aggrieved that these children will have probably shared classes in primary/junior level - and then some will have gone to Hurworth and some to Eastbourne. Does this then give people the right to put down those who have gone to Eastbourne?

There will be advantages and disadvantages to amalgamating any school, but Hurworth parents have no right to look down their noses at those who go to Eastbourne.

Please let us remember that we are talking about children. We should treat each child with equal respect and remember the staff each day who work at Eastbourne and give their all also deserve recognition and appreciation. If Eastbourne is to succeed then treat everyone with the same respect. - Supportive parents and pupils, Eastbourne School.

COMMUNITY VALUES: I AM devastated about the plans for Hurworth Comprehensive School. I am a former pupil of the school. I received a very high standard of education, which enabled me to go to sixth form college, then to university.

I have a son, who currently attends Hurworth Primary School, and I envisaged him attending Hurworth Comprehensive School as it is now i.e. a small, but efficiently-run community school. I learnt from the national curriculum, and I also learnt about community values, which I feel are very important, and these are the things that I want my son to be taught. The school has a tremendous success rate.

Does the council realise that parents are already considering moving out of the village? What effect will this have on Hurworth Primary School, or are there already plans in the pipeline to close it?

I do believe that all children are entitled to receive a good education, therefore why not spend the £20m on improving Eastbourne School, instead of trying to fix something that isn't broken.

Are the residents of Hurworth and the parents of pupils attending the school going to be reimbursed with the £50,000 they raised to enable Hurworth to become a Maths and Computing College ? I am interested to see whether or not Tony Blair will be visiting his constituency to hear the opinions of those who matter.

Leave Hurworth school where it belongs, in Hurworth. - Nicola Bellwood, Hurworth

MISSING THE POINT: MANY of the readers of the Echo seem to have missed a point about the schools debate.

The Labour councillors in Darlington have for some time wanted to get all the schools in Darlington into what they call, a social/economic mix.

They have the mistaken idea that pupils from schools such as Hurworth, mixing with pupis from schools which do not perform as well, will lift the performance of the lower achieving school.

I am afraid that what usually happens is that they get results to the lowest common denominator. The councillors feel that this new school would be a good opportunity to achieve their aim, a long time Socialist goal. - Stan Johnson, Darlington