Sir, – Although it has gone into freefall in the last few years, the standard of Scottish education was declining rapidly before that.
Teachers have been forced away from their main objectives by misguided schemes introduced by governments.
Primary school used to be where pupils were given the tools to equip them for secondary school and the rest of their lives.
These tools were the ability to read, write and count. Armed with those, what they achieve afterwards is nearly always up to the children themselves.
As a primary seven teacher for many years, if even one child had left my class for secondary school unable to do all three as well as he or she could, I would have felt that I had failed to do the job I was being paid to do.
Some children did not like what was sometimes hard work for them but hopefully today, they are glad of it.
I feel so sorry for the children over the decades who have been the victims of the failings of the education system.
We must get back to basics and give our children the chance to be what they can be.
We may be living in a different world now but the need of our young people to be equipped with the basics is still fundamental to their journey through life. It is their right.
Ann Thomson.
Rubislaw,
Balmoral Road,
Rattray.
Downside of online shopping
Sir, – The increase in online shopping does not only affect shops and businesses.
Many individual sales people have seen their orders reduced.
In our area we have a Betterware man who visits the community at regular intervals and has done so for many years.
He was telling me that this has been his poorest season for orders and he believes it is now down in part to people ordering goods online.
He hopes to continue for a few years yet before retiring but says he will have to see what the future brings.
Thomas Michie.
93 Main Street,
Kinglassie.
It is time to pull out of Fifa
Sir, – I am appalled at the heavy handedness and disrespect of the decision by Fifa to fine the home nations for players wearing black armbands with poppies at the England v Scotland match last month.
The reason Fifa gave for this highly offensive action is that their rules state that no political or religious symbols may be worn.
The poppy does not fit into any of those categories. It is a symbol of respect to the brave men and women who died for our freedom.
The fines should not be paid to Fifa at all. The money should go to the poppy appeal.
Perhaps it is time Britain pulled out of Fifa altogether and had home nation tournaments only without the control of the sports version of the EU.
Gordon Kennedy.
117 Simpson Square,
Perth.
Staff can help solve NHS crisis
Sir, – The news that NHS Tayside will have to make cuts of £214 million over the next five years is a serious indictment of the quality of management running this service.
I was astounded to note that £88,000 of performance-related bonuses were paid to 66 senior managers and that chief executive Lesley McLay felt she merited her bonus on top of her salary.
No wonder the staff at the coal face are under so much pressure.
Following my previous letter to you regarding your front page article about the rise in unfilled nursery and midwifery posts, where I suggested staff retention was an issue as well as recruitment, I was interested to note Ms McLay, indicated that “ job losses were not on the table”.
I would suggest that perhaps the little effort dedicated to staff retention is related to this, as a strategic management tool to not have staff losses, but to keep staff levels at their critical minimum, which they are. The experience and quality being lost is very worrying.
Ms McLay indicates she will be working closely with trade unions.
May I suggest she gets down to the wards and clinics herself, to introduce herself to staff, and she may be more enlightened by speaking to them directly, rather than through the trade unions, where politics and confrontations will cloud the real issues.
NHS Tayside’s senior management team and managers are so disconnected from its workforce that I believe that by speaking to them directly, they may be surprised as to how the doctors, nurses, midwives and ancillary staff may be able to assist them in making savings and minimising the impact on patient care.
Craig McGeoghie.
10 Newhall Gardens,
Dundee.
Make success of beaver release
Sir, – In Dr David Walsh’s letter (December 12), he asked if Scottish Natural Heritage investigated whether the beaver escapes in Tayside were deliberate.
SNH is responsible for licensing the release of certain animals into the wild, including beavers.
Failing to keep captive animals secure and prevent escape into the wild is a matter for Police Scotland, with the Crown Office which has responsibility for gathering evidence and prosecuting wildlife offences.
We provide them with specialist advice and support when we’re asked.
Police Scotland has not established with certainty if the beavers in Tayside are the result of escapes or deliberate releases.
The Crown Office has not, to our knowledge, taken forward a prosecution for the deliberate release of beavers.
As for permission to release beavers into the wild, SNH issued a licence to Scottish Wildlife Trust and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland for the carefully managed and monitored Scottish beaver trial at Knapdale in Argyll, as well as for the animal health work on beavers in the wild in Tayside which involved their trapping and release.
What is clear is that the population in Tayside is not derived from a licensed reintroduction, and we agree with Dr Walsh that a more ordered reintroduction approved by Scottish Ministers would have been preferable.
However, the decision in 2012 by then Minister for Environment and Climate Change Stewart Stevenson to set up the Tayside Beaver Study Group (TBSG), involving all interests, meant that the interactions with farming and impacts of beavers’ activities were studied and the publication of the TBSG final report helped inform the cabinet secretary in her recent decision.
It is incumbent upon us all now, irrespective of the origin of the animals, to act upon the Scottish Government’s recent decision and make a success of the addition of beavers to Scotland’s wildlife and to minimise impacts that might arise for farming, forestry, infrastructure and property.
Denise Reed.
Scottish Natural Heritage.
Battleby,
Redgorton.
Perth