We do not expect our aviation Ministers to be able to fly aircraft, nor our transport Ministers to be engine drivers.

But I certainly think we should expect our schools Ministers to be able to spell.

Jim Knight, a schools Minister, who was educated not at what Alastair Campbell would have called a bog-standard comprehensive, but at the prestigious Eltham College, Mottingham, London, and afterwards at Cambridge University, cannot spell even some of the simplest words correctly.

He has "recieved" for "received", "maintainence" for "maintenance", "acheiving" for "achieving". And then he has the effrontery to say: "My spelling is pretty good."

No, it isn't Mr Knight, it is appalling.

It is a pity that the Prime Minister didn't give this man a spelling test when he was considering appointing him to this job. Then he would probably have ended up where he belongs: as a Ministerial bag-carrier.

Mr Knight may try to laugh this off as a shortcoming of little consequence but, in fact, it demonstrates a sloppy mind and is a terrible example to children. He should be removed from his post and given a job more suited to his "abilities".