It is shameful that a generation of politicians who, for the most part, were able to benefit from student grants and even housing benefit while studying should now seek to heap massive debt on today’s young scholars (“Thousands of university staff facing redundancy”, The Herald, November 4).
I trust that those who assert it is right that students should pay for their education will be proactive in repaying, retrospectively, the full costs of the state-subsidised education that they and their families have enjoyed.
G McCulloch (Letters, November 1) espoused the virtue of students paying for an education in South Africa but declined to mention that one in seven adults is illiterate in that country.
A Government that cannot provide an education for its young (or, indeed, anyone else) has no business being in Government, or raising taxes for any other purpose. Scotland introduced free education long before England. Our Government can have no higher aim than to maintain this tradition, regardless of any loss of enlightenment south of the border.
Dr Geraint Bevan, Glasgow.
Lord Browne’s recommendation for English universities to be able to charge far higher fees raises interesting policy challenges for Scottish universities.
One is the issue of EU undergraduate students from outside Britain who attend UK universities. Until 2006, such students faced a level playing field between Scotland and England. Since 2006, they have paid a tuition fee of more than £3000 per year to study in England but, de facto, a zero tuition fee to study in Scotland.
If one compares the first-year enrolment of such students between 2005-2006 and 2008-2009, the numbers in England went up from 33,700 to 37,200, a rise of just over 9%; but the numbers in Scotland in the same time period went up from 4700 to 6400, a rise of 27%.
On this evidence, geographically mobile EU students appear to be sensitive to price, a wholly unsurprising finding. As a consequence, the equivalent of one large Scottish university is entirely populated with non-UK EU students; and the Scottish Government pays the teaching cost of their education in its entirety. (While tuition fees remain effectively zero for undergraduate Scottish students, the Scottish Government has no choice. It can, and does, discriminate against English students but EU law does not allow it to discriminate against other EU countries.)
First, it does not take much imagination to see that, if post-2012 Scottish tuition fees remain effectively zero and English tuition fees rise as planned to up to £9000 a year, we are likely to see still more Scottish university places filled from elsewhere in the EU: all at the expense of the Scottish Government. This would be (unintended) altruism on a grand scale.
Secondly, what are usually described as “overseas” students (that is, students from outside the EU) are not subject to a quota; but non-Scottish EU undergraduate students count for quota purposes in exactly the same way as Scottish students. In a system where that undergraduate numbers quota is firmly capped by the Scottish Government, each non-Scottish EU undergraduate student who is admitted to a Scottish university deprives an aspirant Scottish undergraduate of a university place.
None of what I have written is intended to be an attack on the presence of European students in Scottish universities. My intention is simply to point out that a major system change in England may have large and unplanned effects in Scotland.
Iain Smith, Glasgow.
The actions of the UK Coalition will not be forgotten by students across the entire UK. The proposals will put off non-traditional students from even thinking about attending university because of the massive debt looming. This is not education designed for all, but for the elite from good schools and families that can afford to send their children to university. The proposals will burden thousands of students with thousands of pounds of debt for their foreseeable future. A society built on debt doesn’t work; we’ve seen this. This is no position to put a young person in before their life has even begun to take off. How are they to get a foot in the housing market when, after they reach the income level of only £21,000, they must start repaying their education? The £21,000 level is simply far too low.
Unfortunately, the Opposition is unable to give the message “no” very authoritatively because it introduced tuition fees and commissioned the Browne Review. What would Labour have done with Lord Browne’s recommendations had it been re-elected? We already know it would have cut deeply, despite hiding behind its new opposition mantle. But we must be grateful that it has at least stuck to its pledges, unlike the backtracking LibDems, once laughably seen as the student party in the UK.
Scotland must find a Scottish solution that will involve sticking to our historic principles of free education. Education is a public good whether it is at primary, secondary or further and higher levels. The UK Government is putting ridiculous ties on us finding our own solution given the budget cuts. Now more than ever we need fiscal powers to fund ourselves and, importantly, our universities and students.
Gail Lythgoe, Clarkston, Glasgow.
I read with dismay of proposals by rural councils to close schools on our islands (“Council defers consultation on school closures amid protests”, The Herald, November 3). There is a dismal inevitability in this unfolding story, where financial expediency and the needs of local communities are at odds. In 20 years, we will be asking: “Why are these communities dead?”
I commend your coverage of the public protest in Argyll and Norrie Bissell’s plea for the community in Luing. Children as young as five from Luing being required to travel an hour by bus and ferry does not bear consideration. I also noted that Western Isles Council plans to close Daliburgh and Stoneybridge schools in South Uist. My first teaching post was in South Uist in 1979. I was based at Daliburgh and I travelled to primary schools in Lochboisdale (closed), Garrynamonie (closed), Kildonan (closed) and to Eriskay (fingers crossed). I taught Mairi MacInnes, one of our finest Gaelic singers, and many other young folk with a passion for their heritage. Stoneybridge is a gem in the landscape of the machair lands of South Uist and is the centre of the development of the Ceolas summer school, which attracts musicians, singers and scholars from across the globe. What are we doing? Is this the vision of the 21st century?
On the same day that a seismic shift in the stock market knocks £1.5bn off (publicly owned) Lloyds Banking Group’s value, we are reading about the potential destruction of our rural communities; £1.5bn could go some way to help.
This is not just an education decision. It is an environmental, business, transport, regeneration, social work, housing and community development issue. What do we do now?
Mark Sheridan, Senior lecturer, School of Humanities, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.
I am sorry Dr Bob Purdie (Letters, November 3) had such an unpleasant experience as a schoolboy. I and countless others from similar non-privileged backgrounds benefited from the education system that held sway in the 1950s and 1960s -- the belt included -- and we stand as testament to the fact that it did work.
I have no contemporaneous experience in education but I do read the current regime turns out 20% or so of school-leavers who are functionally illiterate and innumerate. I would not see that as anything to be proud of and perhaps it is time to remove political idealism from education policy. “Back to the future” may be exactly what is needed.
David J Crawford, Glasgow.
I’ve enjoyed the correspondence about the belt. However, how about his scenario in 2010, if a 15 year-old boy disrupts the class and is invited to the front.
“Hold out your hands.”
“Naw.”
What next?
Angus Johnston, Houston, Renfrewshire.
In my first day of secondary school at Jordanhill, I ran in one of the corridors. For this misdemeanour, I received two of the best. I never ran again in the corridor.
Craig McMillan, Bearsden.
Many convicts remain free to vote because they have not received custodial sentences
In all the debate about whether prisoners have the right to vote, one point seems to have been overlooked (Letters, November 4). Many people are convicted of crimes but not sent to prison and are then free to vote. People are regularly convicted of a whole range of crimes, including causing death, dishonesty and violence. Some of the offences would be called serious, particularly by the victims, yet the perpetrators are either fined or given deferred sentences.
Conversely, people with previous convictions are regularly found guilty of comparatively minor crimes such as stealing items of food or drink and are sent to prison because of their criminal past and then cannot vote.
So are all those who are calling for prisoners not to be granted the right to vote content that other convicted people should retain their right to vote?
Andrew McMillan, Dumfries.
The arrogance of Bill Aitken MSP, is quite astounding (Letters, November 4). He notes that prisoners should be denied the right to vote, although he says he has little doubt that the vast majority of them would be consumed with indifference.
There was a local by-election in East Kilbride last week in which the turnout was 17%. Does he believe that these people should have been denied the chance to vote because the vast majority were consumed with indifference?
Prison is a punishment.
Hopefully, during their time inside, some prisoners at least will be rehabilitated. Encouragement to vote would be a small step towards future integration into society. This is encouraged in many countries in Europe without any disquiet among the populace.
On this issue, as when he used his casting vote on the Justice Committee to close the district court of the largest town in Scotland, it is Mr Aitken who is completely out of touch with mainstream opinion and the electorate.
Graeme Crawford, East Kilbride.
Eventually people will appreciate the trams
When English cities are enthusiastically seeking to commence or develop tram systems, one can hardly doubt that Edinburgh, with its crowded narrow streets, will not come to appreciate them (“Call for tram chiefs to answer to parliament after new crisis”, The Herald, November 4). Edinburgh’s difficulties arose through the Government’s failure to respect parliament’s will, and its neglect of the public interest.
The same Government bungled its responsibility over the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, by failing to afford it the agreed priority, then seeking to postpone, even though the funding was available. When Transport Scotland was instructed to take over Garl from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, it found its work well advanced, but was starved of authority to complete. It is not the regional/local authorities that have failed Scotland, but the Government.
Andrew W Heatlie, Glasgow.
No change of trams chairman in Edinburgh can retrieve the irretrievable. The road works needed before installing tram lines in busy streets could not be estimated and completed on fixed-price tenders: they have virtually bankrupted the project before it is half completed.
Where to now? A tender to cut the city’s losses. Will we have trams? Who cares? We want this humiliation to go away.
Michael Hamilton, Kelso.
New legislation will be of fantastic benefit for the homeless and prove to be cost-effective
The passing of the Housing Bill was a fantastic result for homeless people and those facing homelessness across Scotland (“MSPs call time on right-to-buy housing scheme”, The Herald, November 4).
Shelter Scotland is glad the Scottish Parliament recognised the arguments put forward regarding access to support and that, despite the disingenuous claims of some, it accepted that providing the support is not only affordable, but is, in fact, cost-effective.
We congratulate the Scottish Parlia- ment for its courage and strength in seeing this Bill through. The result will bring positive social and financial benefits through a significant reduction in repeat homelessness.
This is progressive legislation which proves that Scotland has a pioneering approach to dealing with housing and homelessness issues.
Graeme Brown, Director, Shelter Scotland, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh.
Many families in Scotland can look forward to a better future, as a result of legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament. It is legislation that puts social housing at the top of the agenda, and makes a proper home a basic right for everyone. The Government has repealed the Thatcherite policy of the right to buy. This will allow housing stocks to regenerate. The Scottish Government has already put measures in place to encourage local authorities to provide social housing. And £600m in the past two years was made available to local authorities to kickstart this programme of a return to social housing.
The Scottish Government has been established for more than 10 years, yet we are only getting the basic need and right of a proper home for all our citizens addressed in 2010. How timely in this recession.
Catriona C Clark, Banknock.
Christmas cheer
As a fellow Scottish Christian, I found Harry Reid’s column (“It is time to ditch this Christmas humbug”, The Herald, November 2) a bit curious.
I remember the time he refers to, when, in Scotland, Hogmanay was the festival of choice. Indeed, Christmas was a normal working day in Scotland into the 1950s, until we became aware of the world about us and realised we were the ones out of step.
Most of us agree that Christmas has become over-commercialised but to say that the incarnation -- to Christians, the most important event in history -- should be “done away with” in favour of a pagan festival is an extreme case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Or, in this case, baby Jesus with the Hogmanay carry-out.
Hugh Phillips, Bothwell.
Suspicions persist over death of Willie McRae
I knew Willie McRae well (“Fresh demands for McRae death probe”, The Herald, November 2).
During 1982, the SNP Strategy Committee used to meet once per month in his lawyers’ offices in Buchanan Street, Glasgow. He was full of humour, with an infectious smile. He also had a fierce temper, and he detested bombast and pretence. He had a definite predilection for the wee goldies and the fags. To sit in his office was to passive smoke without interruption. Anyone less likely to commit suicide is unimaginable.
At that time, he had successfully defended some Scottish Nationalists who were facing terrorism charges. I remain convinced to this day his death was related to that fact.
Alan Clayton, Strachur, Argyll.
Lofty ambition
I like Bob Murray’s idea (Letters , November 4) to create inflatable policemen for catching criminals, as a logical add-on to this week’s inflatable police car proposals.
If one were to use helium as the inflation medium, these would be extremely useful for apprehending all the wee fly men who are circulating.
Bob d’Arcy, Helensburgh.
