AS we have seen recently, education can provide opportunities for success, with joy and relief being emotions in equal quantities.

But there is a flip side, where some children and young people see education as something remote and unhelpful. Being overawed by the experience, they withdraw or are excluded from the system.

Education is, or should be, a holistic experience, where there should be something to be gained in learning and developing a range of skills. Linking education to work and a chosen career should be for everyone to aspire to.

Leaving school with a pocketful of GCSEs, progressing to A-levels and university is a realistic outcome for some, but for many young people getting a job and earning a regular income must surely be achievable without the academic experience being too awesome.

The reality is that the world of education is not attractive or fulfilling, or there are barriers built up over the years, including parents' poor perception of education and what it was like for them.

Schools, colleges and the Government have been trying to reverse the trend and to make education inclusive. Such a process will be a challenge but is necessary to avoid a future generation from feeling alienated.

Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe, Durham.