Education And Driving

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31161, 10 September 1966, Page 14

Education And Driving

Sir, —As a private tutor, I have found a remarkable reluctance on the part of youth to study, although their hardworking parents are prepared to pay me fees for their advancement. This seems rather one-sided and I feel sure that no Government would lose any support were it to pass legislation restricting applicants for driving licences to persons 18 years and over or to those who could produce evidence that they had passed School Certificate. This legislation would have a salutary effect on their studies and on the intellectual level of the country as a whole. Boys or girls sufficiently mature to apply themselves to passing this examination should be entitled to apply for a driv. ing licence at any age. Individuals whose mental capacities are not equal to this “intelligent achievement” would probably be sufficiently mature by the age of 18 to use the dangerous weapon, which is a car, in an intelligent fashion.—Yours, etc., CHARLES E. PATERSON. September 8, 1966. Litter Sir, —Your leading article was useful in informing us of the law concerning litter. As you said, broken glass is becoming an increasing menace on beaches and in other public places. We can all help to reduce it by assisting, when we get the opportunity, to have offenders prosecuted. It should be possible to ar-

range by law that all beverage bottles carry a refundable deposit large enough to encourage their return by the user or their salvage by enterprising small boys, who might otherwise merely smash them for fun. I wonder, would any political party adopt this as part of its policy?—Yours, etc.,

J. F. McCAHON. September 9, 1966.