AS CLLR Mary Barnett (executive member for children & young people) seems unwilling (or unable) to answer my query regarding the appropriateness of children celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee in Torfaen’s schools, I wonder if she thinks children and parents have a right to question the validity of the monarchy?

Does she want children to grow up with healthy, questioning minds based upon reason and the values of the enlightenment or perhaps she does not believe in cultivating children’s ability to reveal and question underlying assumptions based solely on tradition or otherwise?

A healthy education system is surely based on raising children who are not afraid to think critically and independently about moral, religious and other issues?

Do not parents and children have a right to have their cultural identities recognised (working class/socialist)?

A reply would be polite.

Terry Banfield, Cardigan Crescent, Cwmbran