Pupils tend to pick the arts at A-level because they are 'easier' and can lead to well-paid jobs after graduation

John Naughton's article made some important points, but ignores the real problem, the low salaries paid to professional engineers and scientists. A bright pupil will recognise that the stem subjects are hard. So why bother with these subjects, when it is possible to waltz through arts A-levels, go to university, study the same easy options, and get a better, well-paid job on graduation? Until we wake up to this problem we will not get our young studying engineering, technology or science and we will not have a future, let alone a bright one.

John Owen (CEng)

Caerphilly

One way for all our young people to have access to the latest development in science and technology, and to solve the debt problem for graduates, would be to waive fees for all undergraduates willing to spend their second year in state schools, as classroom assistants, while writing a dissertation for their degree before returning to university ("Our young people need to study science and technology for a brighter future", Comment). This would keep teachers up to date with the latest research and enable talented young people to study for a degree.

This pool of talent would overcome discipline problems by changing the dynamics of the classroom and facilitate the use of computer applications, which would eliminate the attainment gap between public and state schools.

Margaret Phelps

Penarth

Vale of Glamorgan

You present challenging pieces about empowering human intellect through problem-solving mathematics and practical science and technology. You also do well to expose the mechanistic character of high performance in current international test leagues. Yet you render the entire question academic by confirming what has been predicted for over a decade, namely that certainly by mid-century computers and related robots will have overtaken human intellect ("Will 2029 be the year when robots have the power to outsmart us all?", News). The key singularity will be philosophical, not technical – when, as in Dr Strangelove, the computers refused to obey their masters.

We need a new concept of society in which serving the public becomes a career justifying a decent living wage paid for by those still paying taxes, but also reducing some of those public service costs as presently financed. We need a fresh respect for caring communities and social discipline.

Mervyn Benford

Shutford

Oxon

It's a result of 20 years of decreasing funding. I'm an electronics graduate and in regular contact with a couple of my lecturers 20 years later. They say that lecturing today is more about how much money you can bring in through research funding or attracting overseas students than education.

Every year, they produce 100 EE (electronic engineering) graduates – on average, 70 of these are from Asia and of the remaining 30, around half take jobs in finance or accountancy, which means that only 15 EE graduates take jobs in the UK electronics industry.

The average starting salary as an electronics engineer is £25,000; the average in finance is £40,000. In Germany, you cannot call yourself an engineer unless you have chartered status and a chartered engineer is paid around the same as a doctor.

I got out of engineering within three years of graduating due to the low salaries. It's the best decision I ever made. Until the UK values engineers as much as other countries I don't foresee the situation changing.

Chris Paris

Hitchen, Herts