IN reply to K.Irvine regarding my letter about further educational opportunities for well off and poor kids, I notice that she states that her parents were struggling to pay their mortgage when she was a child. (Evening Times, letters page yesterday.)

It made me smile - mine and my classmate’s parents were struggling to pay rent, feed and clothe and their children.

We in Calton, Bridgeton and the South Side were living in overcrowded slum houses in an area where anyone having a job was a bonus.

Certainly no one I know had parents who had, or even imagined having, a mortgage. Everyone was waiting for a corporation house, which took my Mum and Dad with five kids in a sub let room and kitchen, shared outside toilet with two other families, 18 years to obtain.

Let’s not compare dire poverty living in sub let, overcrowded, mice infested housing with living comparatively comfortably in a house that was being purchased by your parents .

Poverty is all relative but take it from one who really experienced it - poverty in the West End with your bathrooms and tiled closes was heaven in comparison to the poverty in the East End and the South Side.

Rosemary Keery, Gordon Drive, Glasgow

In relation to the story on equality (Evening Times, yesterday) I just don't get all this equality thing to do with MPs.

Surely it should be the best person available not quotas.

I would be happy if it was all women or all men or even chimpanzees.

I think it is just patronising to all women.

Ronnie Hodes, by email

It is encouraging to see that so many pupils have got better results in this year's exams.

However, one suspects that if the exam is easier then an all-round improvement will be easier to achieve, if that is the case.

What would be interesting to see is the effects that so much change, so much more paperwork and so many deadlines have taken on the health of the staff in our schools.

Also, the continuing disruption caused by a minority of anti-social pupils that isn't being addressed by many schools is also taking its toll.

There is much more to education than exam results.

James Cormack, Dumbuck Crescent, Dumbarton

In relation to the story about breakfast clubs (Evening Times, yesterday),children need a breakfast to focus at school.

If there's no food in their tummy, there's no thought control.

This might be the only hot meal they eat all day through no fault of their parents but this Government has imposed so many sanctions for the less off that it's heat or eat.

Robbie Bell, posted online