I NOTE with interest Iain Macwhirter's insightful piece on how coronavirus has hit the finances of Scottish higher education by exposing fundamental weaknesses of our universities in Scotland ("Our universities will learn that they are not too big to fail", The Herald, April 29). As Warren Buffett once said: “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”
The switch from technical colleges to universities has indeed been a big mistake when one considers that around only five per cent of students went on to universities in the 1950s compared to nearer 50 per cent today – Tony Blair and Alex Salmond have a lot to answer for.
Small wonder, then, that our manufacturing has slumped to around 10 per cent of GDP and one of the main reasons why we were not been able to quickly “scale up” the testing for coronavirus and production of PPE – unlike Germany (20 per cent of GDP).
In facing up to the unsustainable situation (with many questionable degrees) some of the Scottish universities should perhaps switch back to polytechnic/technical institutes suitable for a 21st century Britain in preparation for the inevitable on-shoring back of manufacturing jobs post coronavirus. After all, as Mr Macwhirter suggested, they have become more like businesses paying themselves over-inflated salaries and as such need to adapt or face the consequences.
Ian Lakin, Aberdeen AB13.
SO, the Scottish curriculum review is to be delayed because of the coronavirus ("MSPS cry foul as education review moved past election", The Herald, April 29). They may as well abandon it completely.
There is no point repeatedly re-analysing the whole sorry system from the same old “progressive” perspective that infuses the whole Scottish political/educational establishment.
I can tell you what the action points would be now: more emphasis on wellbeing and mental health, children’s rights, pupil-led learning, and gender equality (ignoring where girls outperform boys), extra resources for poorer areas, better behaviour while dismantling disciplinary systems, and more inclusion, equality, equity, diversity and tolerance lessons.
John Swinney offers no leadership at all: he merely drifts along regurgitating the tired mantras that are causing the decline in standards, thereby earning pats on the head from the adherents to the groupthink, from Education Scotland to GTCS, and from teaching unions to the vast children’s rights industry.
Asking the Scottish Parliament to review education policy in as about as useful as asking the Sausage Appreciation Society to consider vegetarianism.
Richard Lucas, Leader of The Scottish Family Party, Glasgow G2.
YOU persist in the mythology that Curriculum for Excellence is 10 years old.
CfE (or ACE as it was originally known as) began development in 2001 under the auspices of the then Labour/Liberal Executive. The roadshows to tell teachers about how wonderful it was going to be took place in session 2004-5. It was fully implemented by a unanimous vote in 2009 (at a time that the SNP had only 47 seats) but had already been in process for far longer: educational changes do not – and cannot – take place overnight.
It is without doubt that the present Government have some culpability for the progress of CfE whilst it has been under its stewardship, but many of the issues that exist were built in from the outset so those in government at the time are also culpable - perhaps more so since they set the parameters. That is not to say that many of the principles that CfE was founded on are wrong but that there are issues – much too lengthy to rehearse in a short letter – with the way that it was set out which have continued to cause problems.
It should not be difficult for a newspaper which prides itself on being a bulwark against fake news to present the history of CfE correctly.
DE Blake, Galashiels.
NEIL Mackay ("Scotland’s handling of schools in lockdown is a national disgrace", The Herald, April 28) writes that "....children need to get up in the morning, brush their teeth, eat their breakfast and go to their virtual school". This is true but unrealistic. Scores of children never do this before school – virtual or real. Hence we find breakfast clubs to feed them – if they arrive in time.
He also writes "families in need" should be provided with computers. This is also a good idea but difficult to carry through. Sadly, not all parents value their children's education, particularly where home life may be truly chaotic and certainly not a place for learning. Some children will be benefiting from extra time with mum and dad at this time and will go on to have a positive future. For others this is a really awful time and nothing will change. Life will continue to be a huge struggle after the lockdown is over. There will always be "lost" wee souls but fortunately there will also always be great teachers to help them as much as they can.
Sue Wade, Ayr.
Read more: Opinion: Iain Macwhirter: Our universities will learn that they’re not too big to fail
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