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William Keenan (Letters, THES , August 23) has got the wrong end of the stick. There is no contradiction between falling academic standards and the existence of talented students with high expectations. The needs of such students, however, will not be met by a higher education system dumbed down by chronic underfunding.

Frank Furedi shows (Features, THES , August 16) how the promise of "an excellent learning experience" can turn into "a dismal experience of confusion and chaos".

Those who acknowledge falling standards are not merchants of gloom but appreciate the relationship between funding and quality.

Pat Brady
London Metropolitan University