Letters from Sir Richard

Taff recently found a couple of letters that Sir Richard had sent to him shortly after leaving Killerton. The scans can be found here and here.

The second letter has faded a little so I've transcribed it:

Sprydon, Broadclyst     January 12th 1974

My Dear Taffy

How nice to hear from you with such happy news.

We’re just back from spending Christmas with her third son and his wife in Boston.  A fascinating experience but I wouldn’t live there. Do you realise is that in the New York State (including New York City) comparable in population to London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent which have some 12-15 L.E.A.s, The Americans have about 600 District School Committees each of which can, and many of which do, exercise more direct control over what gets taught than does the Devon L.E.A. on any Devon school. AND each District Committee gets its cash by imposing its own rate on its own district, so that in “nice” residential areas a rate of 20 cents in the dollar brings in more money (and far more money per kid) than a rate of 80 cents in a slum. AND the richer districts use this money to build themselves better schools. AND they use it to lure the better teachers by differential salaries. What corresponds to the N.U.T. in New York State has to conduct 200 salary negotiations (each to fix a three year contract) with 200 separate committees every year. Give me the dear old UK, Ted Heath and all.

Yours

Richard