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It is a great shame that Jim O¡¯Neill¡¯s recent article, seemingly helpful to the UK and its universities, fails to acknowledge its own particular ideological stance (¡°Mind power: in BRICs and MINTs, education is fuel for growth¡±, Opinion, 5 December).

Championing the rather anti-intellectual approach illustrated by TeachFirst and its global equivalents commodifies education and privileges economic capital above the cultural capital won by learning driven by curiosity.

O¡¯Neill is indeed correct in stating that the prize for ¡°going global¡± is huge, but we have a choice between a cash-focused education system or one that seeks knowledge, learning and understanding.

Jonathan Parker
Bournemouth University