THE letter (June 22) from Larry Flanagan, General Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, was a classic example of managerialism. He seemed satisfied at having ticked the boxes, but where was the imagination, innovation, and plan of action needed to tackle the educational emergency Scotland’s children and young people face, if the lost schooling is not made up?
From the managerial lexicon he gave us "sustained education recovery effort", in which the EIS is "keen to play a role". How about a plan of action from the EIS which meets the needs of our children, one that parents can rally round to extract from the Scottish Government a policy much better than the weak "blend" on offer now?
Jim Sillars, Edinburgh EH9.
NOTWITHSTANDING that it was most certainly not an EIS survey that first highlighted of the detrimental effects of lockdown on our children's education, as we return to "normal bickering" (Letters, Larry Flanagan, June 22) can I propose a ban on clichés such as “equity audit”, “play a role”, “education recovery effort”, “engage constructively”, and “digital divide”? Such is the bizarre lexicon of the under-performing Scottish public sector which on current evidence is not even “talking a good game”. (Oops.)
If the health unions had been so protective and spoken such arrant nonsense as the teachers there would have been many more casualties and no clapping. So it’s not even a one-handed clap until teachers get back to work and focus on the “r” factors that are within their gift, namely reading, writing and arithmetic.
John Dunlop, Ayr.
JACKSON Carlaw believes there is "no ambition to get schools open in August" (even though the First Minister has announced that schools will re-open in August), and calls for "imaginative thinking to get kids back to school!.
Is Mr Carlaw prepared to gamble with the health of the Scotland's children and their families, particularly their grandparents?
The Scottish Government's following of the precautionary principle and a gradual return to normality has saved thousands of lives across Scotland. Sadly, there are examples all over the world of newly-opened schools having to be closed down again following further outbreaks of coronavirus.
Of course, we are all in favour of imaginative thinking. If Mr Carlaw can share some of his ideas on this subject in sufficient detail to be actionable, that would be helpful. Otherwise he should be supportive of an approach by the Scottish Government which will minimise further loss of life to this pandemic.
Jim Daly, Edinburgh EH10.
WHEN Nicola Sturgeon pronounced "judge me on education" she had little idea of how profound a statement that was. It is now possibly far too late to resurrect Scottish education.
Whilst asking for independence, the SNP is also committing the first generation of children who might have experienced this to unimaginable educational chaos.
You cannot buy back lost years of education. Ms Sturgeon's only faint hope is to mirror Boris Johnson's lockdown lifting tactics this week but in parallel, not two or three weeks later. It is a question of giving priority to the educational needs of Scotland, and one metre instead of two, and in so doing, swallowing her political pride.
Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow G77.
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