While Neil Mackay’s interview with Lindsay Paterson on the state of Scottish education ("Scotland's schools harm out children'", January 12) contained many valid points, I think some of his criticisms of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) are far too sweeping.
Firstly, though he is a much-respected academic, he does not have a lot of experience in the classroom as his career has been mainly about research and stats. However, international comparisons are notoriously difficult and often very unreliable, including the much-quoted Pisa Tests which only test a very narrow range of skills, with many countries selecting or preparing their kids to do well in the tests, whereas we don't.
CfE we are told has been an unmitigated disaster, but from looking through my grandson's end-of-term folder, I would draw the opposite conclusion. He has done far more continuous writing, both functional and creative, in one year than I did in the whole of my primary education in an era when Scottish education was still supposedly the envy of the world. Much of my primary education was mind-numbingly boring and unimaginative.
Professor Paterson is also very sweeping and vague about the solutions to our problems. Trusting teachers is fine, but is far too simplistic and could also be a recipe for disaster. He is also very sore on Education Scotland, but on the other hand I believe he has far too much faith in the SQA who are responsible for a great deal of what has gone wrong. One of the most egregious examples is that the present Higher English is a lot less demanding than the old O-Grade exam, and I believe that much the same applies to other subjects, surely a damning indictment of the body responsible for all this – the SQA.
However, Professor Paterson makes some very valid criticisms of where and how things have gone wrong, especially about dumbing down and the swallowing of shallow, fashionable modern ideologies, something exemplified by the SQA's recent revision of optional Scottish texts for the exams, a revision very much dominated by the demand for "relevance" to the children's lives and ensuring the choices were fully compliant with a DIE ideology (diversity, inclusion and equality) and not about ensuring youngsters actually study any Scottish literature in any depth, hence the removal of Sunset Song and the demotion of Burns among others. Reading a few poems by Carol Ann Duffy or Imtiaz Dharker is thus deemed ideologically "sound", but they are not demanding options.
Even more worrying though is the penetration of transgender ideology into our classrooms, with teaching material now provided by LGBT+ Youth Scotland, financially supported by the Scottish Government and seemingly endorsed by the teaching unions. That is not the fault of CfE but of the Scottish Government and it is something that Jenny Gilruth clearly supports. Yet curiously, Lindsay Paterson seems to have confidence in her and in many people’s eyes that very much calls his judgment into question.
John Hodgart, Ardrossan.
• What a brutal but ultimately sad indictment of modern Scottish state education by Professor Lindsay Paterson. Professor Paterson said of the so-called Curriculum for Excellence: “Each child has only one opportunity. All the children in that time have been let down by this wholly inadequate curriculum. They’ll never get the chance again. They’ve been permanently harmed.”
This is a tragedy. And I see it in the performance of my three sons who endured this post-modernist woke approach to education in Glasgow over the last 10 years.
The failed Curriculum for Excellence is a massive departure from the values and rigour that made a Scottish education among the most sought-after in the world.
Alas, damage done.
Read more:
- Scottish school curriculum accused of ‘permanently’ harming pupils
- OK, we have a boat. But it doesn't solve Arran's problems
Ken Scott, Glasgow.
Taxpayer should not fund Salmond Institute
Reluctant as I am to give Chris McEleny the oxygen of publicity that he constantly seeks, his suggestion that there be an "Alex Salmond Institute" must jar with many, if the proposal is that it be created at taxpayers’ expense ("Alex Salmond Institute would be ‘fitting tribute’ says outgoing Alba chief", January 12). After all, the taxpayer has already shelled out £512,000 in legal costs for Mr Salmond’s victory over his own former colleagues.
Alex Salmond was certainly a big figure in Scottish politics for a time, but he was an essentially divisive one. He inflicted on us a damaging referendum that most of us did not want, and conducted a campaign based on dishonest claims and promises. He was indeed acquitted of the charges against him, but at the trial leading to those acquittals various aspects of his character and conduct were revealed that, as his own counsel agreed, did him no credit. "He should have been a better man" is, I believe, the phrase that counsel used.
I propose that those who wish to honour the late Mr Salmond with a major memorial do it in the way that used to be customary before people expected the taxpayer to pay for everything: by public subscription. If Mr Salmond has so many admirers and people who appreciate his actions, there should be no difficulty in raising a tidy sum.
Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.
• Interviewed by Kathleen Nutt (January 12), Alba's outgoing general secretary Chris McEleny says the party hopes to appeal to pro-Indy voters disaffected with the SNP.
Well, unless Alba puts clear blue policy water between itself and the SNP, particularly on immigration, it will simply be perceived as SNP#2.
It needs to proclaim women's rights by stating a presumption against migrants with misogynistic, non-European religious views, and to proclaim animal rights by calling for a ban on the importation of halal/kosher meat. It also needs to tone down its socialist policies, which put off non-socialist voters.
Alba has great potential, but I fear its leaders are in an echo-chamber, still in thrall to Alex Salmond, and unwilling to entertain fresh ideas.
George Morton, Rosyth.
No laughing matter
Kevin McKenna’s Diary focused on his hostility to safe drug consumption rooms ("SNP has never seen drug addicts as fully human", January 12). However, it demonstrated his general ignorance of the matter.
He stated: “Giving them more drugs to stupefy them rather than trying to help them is the SNP at its most callous.” He then went on to refer to “the SNP’s free narcotics policy”. I’m fairly certain that most people who have taken the slightest interest in this matter know that drugs are not provided in these units. When did you join the fake news brigade?
This newspaper has some marvellous journalists. (That’s why I buy it.) These days I’m not even sure the word "journalist" should be applied to Mr McKenna and the word "Diary" is a ridiculous description of his column.
Douglas Morton, Lanark.
• I always enjoy your Letters Pages and of course feel gratified when one of my own is published. I don't normally comment on other people's letters, however I feel compelled to, reading your January 12 edition.
To the letters from Lindsay McCullough "(Attack was evidence free"), Mike Wilson ("Advice for Elon Musk"), Hayley Valentine ("Proud of BBC Scotland work") and Anne Simms ("Put Gaza on the front page"), I would like to say a resounding hear, hear, well said.
Regarding Kevin McKenna's attack on BBC Scotland I actually felt quite embarrassed for him as he was so wrong. Amidst the plethora of choice of hundreds of channels I often find myself watching the excellent programmes on BBC Scotland or BBC Alba channels. BBC Radio Scotland is also a gem to be cherished.
It is part of the anti-woke populist agenda to trash the BBC. No doubt some things could always be improved but undermining the excellent work done by BBC journalists and programme makers is not one of them.
G Duncan, Stonehaven.
Time to disband Police Scotland
I am concerned about the gaps in Police Scotland vetting procedures ("Constance: ‘Scotland needs confidence in police vetting system’", January 12). This is unacceptable. We deserve a force that is run properly and all such procedures should be fully carried out before anyone is allowed to be sworn in as a police officer. It is of vital importance that the officers in the force are honest, reliable and accountable for their actions.
The last chief constable was in post for five years and on leaving, decided to inform us that his force was homophobic, misogynistic, sexist and discriminatory. However, he did nothing about it and received a knighthood. Was this vetting issue present then and the reason for the problems?
Our new chief needs to do something now, and if nothing changes, it is time to disband this useless organisation and go back to the basics to deliver us a police service that is worthy of being respected and acting in a responsible manner.
John Russell, Airdrie.
Waste in the public sector
If Lindsay McCullough (Letters, January 12) is not aware of the waste and inefficiencies all over the public sector, The Taxpayers' Alliance is a reliable source. Thousands of public sector staff are still being allowed to work from home or abroad. Why?
The Office for National Statistics stated that productivity in the public sector was 8.5 per cent below pre-Covid levels. Why?
The department for Works and Pensions doled out £12 million in bonuses with one getting £14,000 despite the department losing £500 million due to fraud and error.
HM Treasury has revealed that Britain's public sector future pensions liability now exceeds the size of the total economy at £2.3 trillion. This Government should reform the public sector by moving all new employees onto a defined contribution scheme, rather than gold-plated defined benefit schemes.
The Office for National Statistics has failed to get 3,800 workers to return to the office. The number of council workers earning over £100,000 a year has escalated despite UK council tax arrears having rocketed to £6 billion of which Scotland was £1.3 billion. This new government has already said that the civil service needs a clean-out so time to call on Hercules.
Clark Cross, Linlithgow.
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