SIR
As an ex-teacher and the mother of two children now at university, education is one of the issues that concerns me the most.
Just a short time before the Assembly was dissolved in preparation for May's election, the Minister for Education admitted that the education system in Wales was "not delivering the outcomes that our young people need and deserve" and he came up with a new five year plan for Welsh education.
It's interesting to compare education in Monmouthshire with the rest of Wales.
Monmouthshire spends more per pupil on education than some other Welsh authorities and Monmouthshire County Council rightly prides itself on the achievements of its schools and pupils.
Some councils in Wales are going ahead with closing school sixth forms, to replace them with brand new colleges with a range of courses and facilities fit for the 21st century.
Monmouthshire is taking a different path, supporting school sixth forms and as a parent and former teacher, I can see the advantages of this.
Teachers' representatives have complained that the previous government's five year plan for education involves too much data collection, monitoring and punitive measures and not enough collaboration with teachers.
I feel that it's vital to acknowledge the dedication of the vast majority of teachers and to work with them to offer the best to young people of all abilities.
However, the Welsh Assembly Government has often been too complacent in the past.
New facilities and five year plans don't automatically improve the quality of the education on offer.
Even in Monmouthshire, I feel there is no room for complacency. We're doing well, but we should be looking for ways to do even better.
Janet Ellard
(Welsh Liberal Democrat Candidate for Monmouthshire)