Why the…

Sir—I was stupefied to read some reactionary drivel in your last issue from a certain Cathy Wylie about the proposed Secondary School Students' Union. Miss Wylie who proudly advertises the fact that she represents an abomination of a critical journal, has obviously no contact with the broad masses of H.V.H.S. or any other secondary school in Welling ton: for if she had she might realise that there is an over-whelming feeling of support for the Union and revulsion against authoritarian Education Department School Board/Staff dictatorship.

For too long, sir have the pupils of our secondary school been oppressed and tricked by the illusion of School Councils and School magazines! For too long have we seen our cherished ideas crushed before our very eyes and our comrades grow bitter and cynical! For too long have the exploited classes been deprived of true democratic representation and democratic ideas! Give us smokes in our classrooms! Give us liquor in our cafes! Cast away our caps and berets, baubles of class exploitation! Discard our school uniforms, symbols of our slavery! Let the dictatorship of the Third Formers reign in peace and happiness, for ever and ever!

Miss Wylie, as an agent of the Oppressors, rejects the fraternal assistance offered by our university comrades in forming our Union, as interference. But the leader of the masses and the oppressed, our great Helmsman Chairman Mao Tse-Tung has brilliantly pointed out to us the importance of cadres in guiding, educating and helping the masses in revolutionary development. Thus our university comrades are clearly only doing their correct socialist duty. I commend a perusal of Chairman Mao's works to Miss Wylie.

Chairman Mao has also described reactionary elements like Miss Wylie in his essay "The Orientation of the Youth Movement": 'How should we judge whether a youth is a revolution-ary … there can be only one criterion … whether or not he is willing to integrate himself with the broad masses … and does so in practice.' Surely, sir, this exposes Miss Wylie's unmittigated gall in attacking the Secondary Students' Union.