We should do away with long school summer holidays

It has long been my contention that the four-term year in keeping with the four seasons should be punctuated by four holiday breaks of three weeks each.

In that reformulation, the pupils do not become mentally exhausted nor do they lose the benefits of what they have recently learned, a difficulty encountered after the length of the traditional summer break.

I was surprised to hear one of the representatives of a teachers' association say that the proposed reformulation in Wales would be too much to take on board when a new curriculum also had to be taken into account along with the consequent changes thereby necessitated.

I cannot for the life of me see how an alteration in the duration of school holidays could affect teachers adversely.

Coming to terms with a new curriculum certainly adds to the pressures upon teachers but devising a different approach to holiday times should not be a pressure point likely to impinge upon staff morale.

Our various levels of government in the UK should certainly contemplate considering an amelioration in the duration of the four school breaks throughout the school year. Streamlining the school year in the way outlined could lead to better results, improved concentration and hopefully fewer disciplinary problems.

If that trinity of benefits ensued from such a change, teachers would experience more teacher satisfaction, fewer pressures and a decline in the mental burnout.

It would be a win-win situation.

Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs.

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A different kind of boarding school

ROSEMARY Goring's article ("Time to ring final bell on our respect for public schools", The Herald, November 23) reminded me of boarding school life in my own youth; except that this was in a hostel for pupils from outlying areas of Dumfriesshire ,whose schools provided education only up to third year senior, and required to attend Dumfries Academy to attain a Higher Leaving Certificate. Our supervisor was a teacher from the Academy who lived on the premises with his wife and their border terrier. Discipline was strict with the belt occasionally used for serious breaches, such as talking after lights out. There was, however, not a hint of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Bullying in the hostel was unknown during my time there and indeed the 24 boys were like a large family who looked out for each other in the outer world of town and school. My only serious complaint about senior pupils was that the dispensation of meals by them at the four tables of six meant that fourth year boys often had to share the rubbery skin of rice, sago and other such puddings as their portions.

All of us came from modest backgrounds without the sense of entitlement and superiority demonstrated by many wealthy incumbents of public schools, which to my mind leads to much of the bullying background of the latter. Such behaviour often transfers to the workplace and indeed into politics. Having held management positions for a considerable period of my working life I am well able to distinguish between constructive criticism and bullying.

Sadly there seems little prospect of meaningful change in our very divided society.

James Graham, Clydebank.

The new Paisley Central Library (Image: Newsquest)

The poets of Paisley

IT is of considerable interest to me, as a Buddie and a former user of the library facilities in Paisley, and to many others , I would think, to see the results of the refurbishment of Paisley Library , due to become available to the public in the near future ("Inside Paisley’s new £7m library where Daleks are novel addition", The Herald, November 24).

Paisley's relationship with literature and libraries is one which is ingrained and long-established. The town was, of course, famous for the production of shawls and thread.

There is a saying, referred to for many years, that every weaver in Paisley regarded himself as a poe . Many succeeded in having their work published. Robert Tannahill, the "Weaver Poet", was the best-known example. On this topic there is a verse sometimes quoted: "Paisley’s name is widely spread And history doth show it’s Been famed alike for shawls and thread, For poverty and poets."

The original establishment of the Public Library in Paisley was an ambitious and far-seeing step. In 1866 the government of the day enacted the Free Libraries Act. Sir Peter Coats indicated that he would provide finance for the construction of a building if the local council would undertake to run the library. Agreement to that end was reached and Paisley was then provided with one of the first publicly-run libraries. It is pleasing to see that those responsible today in Paisley are displaying something of the vision of their predecessors of some 150 years ago.

Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.

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Piling on the agony

THE illustration of your article on the contest for the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship (Scottish cookery finale sees two winners crowned", The Herald, November 24) showed that chefs are still persisting with their determination to pile all their food onto a heap in the middle of the plate. This presentation is not particularly attractive and results in the food being extremely inconvenient to eat. I had hoped that chefs would have grown out of this tiresome convention but apparently slavish uniformity has become unavoidable.

I recently experienced a particularly unpleasant example of this practice when I innocently ordered haggis, neeps and potatoes in a good restaurant. What was presented was a heap of the three components which had been drenched in some indeterminate sauce. The result was a pile of unpleasant sludge in the middle of a large plate. None of the individual ingredients was recognisable.

Peter Dryburgh, Edinburgh.