Sir,-Laurence Mann's views on church schools have been well publicised through the letters' page of your journal; and I for one find them a little incoherent.

Why should he assume, for example, that the brand of secularism that he propounds is any less a subjective world view than that of the religions he seeks to criticise?

Why should he take for granted that in order to promote, ethical and virtuous behaviour'' we need to ignore the unique and powerful insights of the great world religions?

Isn't this ultimately a position of the most extraordinary arrogance (that somehow - in our generation - We Know Best and can uproot ourselves from all the insights of the past!)?

The popularity of faith schools is indisputable: church schools remain oversubscribed in the borough and all over the country.

And perhaps this is hardly surprising, when the majority of our citizens still regard themselves as Christians, when 40 per cent of them still turn out for carol services at Christmas and when nearly half still have their children baptised.

The most recent evidence demonstrates that active churchgoing is growing again, especially in London.

It would be possible, I suppose, to bring all schools into complete state control: to ensure that the current ethical mantra of the party in power is enforced rigidly throughout the system.

But surely the very freedom we enjoy to choose a school which doesn't share the secular assumptions set out in Cllr Mann's letter is a freedom we should cherish in a fair and equitable society.

I don't believe religious faith has failed for the 'vast majority of our population', as Cllr Mann asserts; but even if we accept his thesis, our politicians are not held in the highest regard either!

Of course this doesn't in any way excuse the bigotry which can be associated with both religious and secular enthusiasts.

But it does mean we should rejoice that the schools in our borough reflect something of our diversity as a population, rather than sniping at church schools from the sidelines.

-Rev Andrew Watson, St Stephen's Church, East Twickenham.

Sir,-One of the main purposes of a local paper is to welcome conflicting views on events affecting its readers. Your paper scores well here, reflecting various opinions through your letters column; the best part of the paper in my opinion.

We've had plenty of parry and thrust on many issues: Richmond Park, Twickenham water front, the fifth terminal, to name a few. Now we have the rights and wrongs of a state funded religious education.

There are sound, reasonable educational arguments for and against this issue. Ralph Shadbolt (February 8th) does not help the religious cause at all with his mad, bigoted, ayatollah-like outburst against agnostics, grouping Jenny Tonge and Prince Charles with Hitler and Mugabe - rather like putting a lolly snatcher with Jack the Ripper!

I hope Mr Shadbolt passed his eye down the page to take in Alfred Kenyon's tolerant and reasoned defence of a truly Christian education - a letter which will have gone some way to redeem the case for church schools.

What an attractive picture Mr Kenyon paints of a loving, all-embracing deity; compared to Mr Shadbolt's vengeful God contained in his final paragraph.

-Keith Collins Hall Farm Drive Whitton.

Sir,-For Kathleen Cassidy to have to go back half a century and quote from Dr Brock Chisholm's 1951 book (letters, February 8th) suggests she has little to substantiate her views. Incidentally, I am against much of what she says Dr Chisholm proposed, so quoting her is counter-productive.

I reiterate my point that parents have every evening and weekends in which to have their children taught about religion. Weekdays should be left to secular education. If she wants single-faith schools supported by us, the taxpayers, would she also agree to taxpayer-supported government-approved schools which banned any believers? After all, today is the age of equality.

Ralph Shadbolt in the same issue says: ''The real bigots are those modernists who obstinately believe that God does not exist.''

Does he mean that anyone who sincerely believes that there is no such thing as God and refuses to change that belief is a bigot? Luckily we have come a long way from the concept of the UK being a theocratic state.

On February 1st, Monica O'Sullivan said: Please leave us alone to decide what is best for our children.'' At what age does she ask her children their opinions? After all, what is one person's 'well structured teaching' is another's 'indoctrination.'

Single-faith religious schools should be seen in the same light as public and private schools - if parents wish to opt out of state education, whether for religious or any other reason, then they pay for it. If statistics are right, should 98 per cent of the population really be expected to subsidise the schooling of the churchgoing two per cent? If these parents wish to have the piper play their tune, then pay him.

-E C Hayman, Beaumont Road, Chiswick.