SHOCKED as I am by Neil Mackay’s report on the number of households struggling to pay their rent or mortgage ("Time our politicians tackled the real problem – poverty", The Herald, January 15), I was equally shocked by the number of Scottish pupils needing additional support in our schools ("Crisis as number of ASN pupils at almost 200,000", the Herald, January 15).

Coincidentally the number is almost identical to those of struggling families referred to above; I do think it a mere coincidence though.

I don’t profess to know exactly what percentage of the total number of pupils that this represents but based on a figure published by the Scottish Government in 2016, it is close to one-third of all pupils, around 30 per cent.

Am I simply out of touch or does anyone else feel this is a surprisingly high percentage?

Willie Towers,

Victoria Road, Alford, Aberdeenshire.