I have always held a healthy degree of doubt when reading the results of surveys but any credence was shattered when reading the findings of a survey carried out by the Scottish Association of Teachers of History ("Adolf Hitler and Robert the Bruce lead historical poll", The Herald, February 28).
This was supposed to demonstrate the most important figures in the teaching of history in Scottish schools, yet some are so obscure I cannot believe more than a small fraction of people have ever heard of them.
How would people list a minor poet like Robert Tannahill and not mention Robert Burns, Walter Scott or William Shakespeare? Why give the name of President Franklin D Roosevelt and mention neither George Washington nor Abraham Lincoln?
Alexander McGillivray and Andrew de Moray, which, despite having a reasonable knowledge of history I had to look up, were also named but when I did I could see no sense in including the minor northern anti-English rebel nor the Scots/Creek native American when William Wallace was not on the list. John Knox was named but not John Calvin or Martin Luther.
I have been critical of what is being taught in school history classes and admit that back in the day our history gave us knowledge of English rather than Scottish events, but I think we must reconsider what is taught if we want to give our children a perspective of events of the past.
Dr Jack Mulhearn,
27 Hillside Road, Glasgow.
WHILE admitting "compulsory study of literature" is not quite the definitive oxymoron that is, say, "British intelligence", the idea that force-feeding pupils a short list of, supposed, quality texts for the study in the new English exams comes close ("New English exam titles revealed", The Herald, March 1).
Then there is the debate surrounding the list. No doubt, and quite rightly, every English teacher could compile their own favourite Scottish texts they would wish to include in any prescriptive list. Among others, I find the inclusion of what is essentially an outmoded soap opera, Bold Girls by Rona Munro, to be unworthy of a place. Notwithstanding individual partiality: no Robert Burns, Hugh McDiarmid, Robert Henryson, James Hogg or George Mackay Brown? Not an exhaustive list by any means. Could do better, I'm afraid.
G McCulloch,
47 Moffat Wynd, Saltcoats.
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