Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, Alastair Harper (Letters, December 3) gave an accurate, concise analysis of the faults in our educational system.
He is right. Inadequate teachers are merely acting out the ”progressive” programming of the educational ”experts” of the Sixties, continuing a decline it seems no one knows how to stop.
Mr Gilbert (Letters, December 6), in denouncing Mr Harper’s letter as a ”diatribe”, completely missed the point of the letter which discussed the attainment of pupils and not their control.
Like today’s pupils Mr Gilbert needs to brush up on his English comprehension before using such invective so erroneously.
Andrew Lawson.9 MacLaren Gardens,Dundee.
Yet another ‘lunatic law’
Sir, Three cheers for Ann Blair in drawing our attention to yet another of the lunatic laws passed by our SNP masters in Edinburgh.
First we found we couldn’t buy a box of liqueur chocolates before 10am because each one contains a miniscule quantity of alcohol. Now we are denied a discount for bulk buying, and soon we are going to be subjected to a minimum price for alcohol.
People who live in Scotland are paying a heavy price indeed for the mistake made by those who voted SNP last May. Where will it all end?
Those of us who have studied history will inevitably be reminded of what happened in a certain European country in the 1930s.
Probably the most chilling phrase in Ann Blair’s letter is ‘Excludes Scotland’.
This, of course, is exactly in accordance with the SNP’s intention of excluding Scotland from the United Kingdom, but how many of us wish to be excluded from the benefits of being British?
Precious few, I hope.
Roll on the next election, when we will have the chance to vote in MSPs who value our place in the UK, and recognise that most Scots are perfectly capable of exercising the freedom of choice to which they are entitled in a democracy.
Jonathan Wilson,2 Lindsay Gardens,St Andrews.
Group taking over the forest
Sir, I have been running, walking, riding (bikes and horses) in Devilla forest for over 30 years.
During all this time I have witnessed various incarnations of user groups. None more invidious than the current ”friends of the forest” group.
The rally car enthusiasts of old, together with the trials bikers, were as nothing compared to this lot.
They are responsible for the plethora of bird boxes, bat boxes, out-of-context wood carvings and various other garden features that now adorn our once natural forest.
These self-styled local historians seem to have extended their back garden into the forest.
The signage at the start of the new walkway is an abomination. Misinformation, fantasy, wild imagination and a severe lack of fact make this a laughing stock for any thinking adult.
Tim Collins.Balgownie Smithy,Culross.
Wrong to generalise
Sir, I keep reading horror stories of care for the elderly in the hands of care workers.
I have just returned from staying with an elderly gentleman who requires care workers to attend to his needs four times a day. Without them he would be quite helpless.
During the three days that I spent with him I witnessed two care workers attend to him each time throughout the day.
Sometimes it was a pretty young woman with a male colleague, sometimes two strong male carers.
Without a shadow of doubt each of these young people was courteous, professional, tender, discreet, able, but above all kind.
Those qualities shone in their smiling faces and rather than an intrusion into the home of this gentleman they lit it up with their good-natured banter and caring.
I felt privileged to have met such a ‘band of brothers and sisters’. Let us not forget that generalising must be soul destroying for the good ones.
Barbara Sturrock.12 Invergowrie Drive,Dundee.
Should see for themselves
Sir, Neil Robertson could not be nearer the truth regarding the failed attempt for recognition of Arbroath and St Andrews for UNESCO World Heritage status (Courier, November 23).
Much has been written and said of the disbelief in missing out on what would have undoubtedly been good for the east of Scotland.
Indeed, those people involved in the English-run UK National Commission had probably never heard of Arbroath before the application landed on their desks, never mind thought of seeing for themselves.
This was no different to the application of the current one-way traffic system in Arbroath.
To get from one street to the next, how crazy to have to turn left onto a dual carriageway for 100 yards, to turn left again.
The guy who planned this is in Edinburgh and had never been to Arbroath to see for himself.
But as far as UNESCO is concerned, we have to wait another 10 years before reapplying.
Geoff Bray.Chairman, Arbroath Abbey TimeThemes.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.