The Echo says...

And yet again, that has led to an outcry about the "dumbing down" of qualifications. Students are getting higher grades, so the examinations must be easier.

Such conclusions are easily drawn but must be difficult to swallow by those who have worked so hard to earn their qualifications - and those in the teaching profession who have guided their students towards success.

There are clearly serious differences of opinion about whether examinations have become easier. The Institute of Directors and the Campaign for Real Education say they have, Education Minister Baroness Blackstone and college spokesmen say they have not.

It is right to raise concerns. It is right to monitor standards. It is right to conduct a meaningful debate about the stiffness of the challenges placed before the next generation of workers.

But not now. Not on the day students should be able to glow with pride at their achievements.

We congratulate all those who have passed their A-levels today - enjoy your moment of glory.

Appeal for Adam

IT is the duty of this newspaper to report some despicable acts. And the thief who preyed on young Adam Bowers has to be a contender for the rat of the year.

At 12 years old, Adam has had more than his fair share of misfortune to cope with in his life. A victim of cerebral palsy, he has difficulty walking very far without suffering from chronic asthma.

Despite his disability, Adam is a young man who thinks of others. He has worked hard to raise money for the children's charity the Yellow Brick Road.

So who would dream of making life more difficult for such an admirable young man?

Unbelievably, Adam has had his wheelchair stolen from his home in Tow Law and is now finding mobility an even bigger challenge.

The wheelchair does not have any financial worth to the thief who has probably taken it out of sheer devilment.

It would be nice to think that person comes to realise the seriousness of what they have done and returns the wheelchair to where it belongs.