2 days Ago By Scotsman Letters
Commenting on the number of schoolchildren with Additional Support Needs (ASN) reaching 40.5 per cent and growing, Cameron Wyllie asks “where does this end?” ( Perspective, 31 December ). In considering this it is worth going back to a Scotland in the early 20th century when inner city classes were often over 40, children wrote on slate and were from much more deprived backgrounds.
Amazingly, educational attainment was amongst the highest in the world and violence in the classroom was virtually unheard of. Children rarely talked back to teachers, who largely delivered lessons uninterrupted. There were some with special needs left behind who, sadly, were not given the support they needed, but they were fewer in number.
Back in the 1940s my father attended secondary school in Glasgow’s East End. Many, like him, were brought up in one-bedroom tenements and went on to university and a good career. Others excelled in vocational disciplines.
Teachers were respected because strong values coupled with strict discipline and a genuine willingness to learn meant elders were revered, not chastised. Consequently, social mobility was more prevalent than now. When I speak to children about my career the first question is, what do I earn.
With this attitude it’s no wonder many struggle to find their way in life, failing to take on responsibility and losing self-esteem. While social media and peer pressure plays a part, failure to harness a positive attitude and self-discipline is rooted in a society where material values are more important than respect for others. Children don’t need role models like Elon Musk or Taylor Swift.
Before the “total revaluation of our education system” Mr Wyllie requests, addressing those “rudeness or laziness or bad behaviour” attitudes he states surely comes first through a societal change in values. Neil Anderson, Edinburgh Wise words Though I am a former Biology / Guidance PT I am, in Cameron Wyllie’s words, an average member of the public who struggles to understand the phenomenal increase in pupils with ASN. I want to thank Cameron for his excellent and compassionate article, and hope that the powers that be in government, education and psychological services will take on board his balanced words before we have a tsunami of young people and school staff suffering with stress and mental health issues.
Lorna Donaldson, Stirling Honouring doubt If a final nail in the coffin was needed to scrap an wholly discredited and archaic Honours system , it has been provided by the Knighthood “gifted” by that other modest Knight Sir Keir Starmer to Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London. By any metric measuring quality of daily life in London, Khan has failed the people of London in dramatic fashion, with the example of the appalling rise in knife and violet crime. He has imposed congestion charges penalising the less well off and congestion is even worse.
In addition, Sir Keir consoles Emily Thornberry with a damehood! It seems her past contribution to political life earns this honour but she is just not quite good enough to fill a position in his Cabinet! If this system is to continue, it is time for a radical overhaul, with the “public” making all the nominations for the ”public” honouring achievement and service. Honours gifts from politicians must end. Richard Allison, Edinburgh Age limits James Scott (92) makes a fair point about mental acuity declining as we grow older, while showing considerable mental acuity himself ( Letters, 1 January ).
I write as a coltish 80 year old. It puts into stark perspective that a frail octogenarian, Joe Biden, is approaching the end of his presidency, only to be replaced by a 78-year-old in Donald Trump , whose own mental acuity is questionable. If only Joe Biden had withdrawn from the election campaign at its beginning, the result may well have been different, and we would have been looking forward to President Kamala Harris, a mere stripling at the age of 60.
Surely the presidency of the most powerful country in the world demands a mental acuity far beyond a 78 year old, far less someone over 80. I would suggest 65 years old should be the upper limit, or even lower, as that, for most, ushers in retirement. One of the many worrying features surrounding the 78-year-old Donald Trump is self delusion.
It beggars belief to think what an 82-year-old Trump, who threatens not to leave gracefully, if at all, will be like. Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Old days I can’t remember exactly when, but back in the day, when the English believed the Scots celebrated only Hogmanay and the Scots believed the English only enjoyed Christmas, on New Year’s Eve the BBC TV put on the White Heather Club, designed to show the English that we Scots knew how to enjoy ourselves at Hogmanay. What I have always called “professional Scots" were hauled out of hibernation: Kenneth McKellar, Jimmy Logan, Andy Stewart .
.. Throw in a bit of Scottish country dancing, plus Jimmy Shand and his Band.
Now my wife Annie and I head for bed at about 10pm; our friends of similar age, likewise. When much younger we threw a party. I wore my kilt, got pleasantly pished and did my uncanny impression of Andy Stewart, singing “Donald Where’s Yer Troosers”.
And when we came down to England, we discovered The English celebrated both Christmas and New Year. Doug Morrison, Tenterden, Kent Write to The Scotsman We welcome your thoughts – NO letters submitted elsewhere, please. Write to [email protected] including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details.
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