DAVID J. Crawford’s letter (‘Remarkable change in the numbers taking part in tertiary education’) observed that four out of ten school-leavers are going on to university.

Tertiary education has indeed, as he notes, “changed dramatically from what it used to be.”

Mr Crawford describes his ascent from primary to tertiary education in Himalayan terms.

If I may borrow the analogy, I can assure him that in those days, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when the ‘qualy’ was a right of passage and the Age of Accountability not yet upon us, it was indeed a feat to rise beyond the foothills of Academia.

In this present age however, of cross-curricular, unit-based, credit accumulation education, in which ‘statistics’ represent an absolute truth, in which a pass mark is negotiable depending on the numbers likely to fail and in which one must avoid, at all costs, any adverse impact on the confidence of the millennial student, may I suggest the approach is more that of ‘bagging Munros’.

One must hang onto the hope that at least six out of ten school-leavers will not be up to their necks in student debt.

Maureen McGarry-O’Hanlon,

Balloch

DAVID Crawford’s letter echoed my thoughts on the remarkable changes which have taken place in tertiary education over 60 years.

Having recently attended the 50th reunion of my old school (which I attended as a pupil, pre-comprehensive) we were reminiscing about the same fact that very few went to university then and it was very rare to get a first-class degree.

I am very glad that we have lifelong learning now, having recently completed an ordinary degree at the age of 67, but I do agree with David Crawford that it would seem that intellectually the human race must have evolved substantially over the years as now four out of ten school leavers progress to university.

Although I have enjoyed the learning, and am glad to have acquired this degree, it does not feel particularly special if 40% of the population are also acquiring degrees.

Nowadays, anyway, it seems that to make progress in careers everyone is expected to obtain a Masters or a PhD.

Presumably then these are the true academics.

Irene Munro,

Conon Bridge