Regrettably, or perhaps deliberately, those interviewed for The Argus Analysis on February 9 seem to have missed the point of Dr Anthony Seldon's remarks.

At no stage did he imply that parents who want the best for their children are hypocrites.

On the contrary, Dr Seldon obviously supports parents who wish to acquire what is, in their opinion, the best education for their children, hence his tenure at Brighton College.

He also thinks that well-off parents should contribute towards their children's education.

What he did say was that some parents, not all, are milking the system and seeking to occupy the moral high ground.

On the one hand, they say they do not believe in paying for schooling and condemn those who do, while on the other hand, they move into catchment areas with the best state schools and then pay for private education in the form of coaching to top up what is lacking.

By so doing, they reduce the number of places available for the genuine "locals" and save money for purposes other than education.

Andy Schofield's politically motivated remarks add nothing to the debate concerning the shortage of funding or what is on offer.

Clearly something is seriously wrong when parents, no matter their motives, feel obliged to move house to obtain the right sort of education.

Surely Mr Schofield's energies would be better spent attacking the Government for providing a divisive, indulgent and inadequate education system that is going nowhere rather than engaging in phobic slating of the private sector?

As a self-reliant parent of four children who have been through the private system, I can vouch for the fact that we have been obliged to make sacrifices.

However, my wife and I believe we made the right decision and are happy with the result. With the absence of grammar schools, such as the Varndean of old, we opted for what we believed was the best available education at the time, against a background where the State was spending (and continues to spend) more time tinkering with the system and social engineering than providing basic education.

Our motives were sincere and we have paid our taxes without demur, thereby contributing to the education of others, so why should we be pilloried by the likes of Mr Schofield?

-Neil Kelly, Hove