The Courier’s week begins with discussion of Gaelic teaching in schools, the beginnings of the universe, the ecological importance of beavers and Western intervention in Libya.
Gaelic teaching funded by willing taxpayers Sir, R. H. L. Mulheron’s letter about Gaelic teaching (April 21) contradicts itself, and in doing so, shows a lack of understanding of the word curriculum.
On the one hand, he wants education in Scotland to broaden its curriculum in accordance with Scotland competing in a global market.
But, on the other hand, he seems to be against the promotion of Gaelic teaching in schools, as he thinks we “can’t afford it.”
The teaching of Gaelic is a broadening of education’s curriculum.
Gaelic-medium pupils and pupils who learn Gaelic at school through the medium of English also receive the same subjects that other pupils do.
This is a broadening of the defined and prescribed course of studies to which the word curriculum relates.
The amount spent on Gaelic teaching in schools is commensurate with demand and not disproportionate to the amount of tax which is paid by those who desire Gaelic education for their children.
Steven Ritchie.Sasaig,An Teanga,Isle of Skye.
Weaknesses in evolution theory
Sir, Nigel Austin (April 20) claims that “most rational-thinking people would take issue” with my alleged assertion “that the evolutionary argument for our existence is no further forward now than what it was in 1961.”
I said nothing of the kind. I was talking about the creation of the universe, not evolution.
Evolution? Of course scientists have made great progress in the study of how the world and the creatures on it, including mankind, evolved from the earliest beginnings of the universe.
Unlike Mr Austin, most rational-thinking people would agree that scientists have still not come up with a satisfactory answer to the problem of how the universe began.
Big Bang? Some chemical interaction? A mysterious collision of heavenly bodies? Nothing of the kind can occur unless there was something there already.
And where did that matter come from?
Ghost, ghoul and goblin theories is what Nigel Austin calls the Christian interpretation of evolution.
The same could well be applied to modern scientists’ far-fetched attempts at explaining how it all began.
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Beavers bring benefits
Sir, Your correspondent Martin Stansfeld’s theory that indigenous European beavers have arrived in Tayside because people want to “wild their pets” is wide of the mark.
As it happens, this population began with five escapes from a wildlife park in 2001 and 2003.
Those of us who have beavers in large enclosures keep them for specifically ecological reasons.
They are not pets. We do not feed them or handle them in any way.
They live as in the wild and are there to create and maintain wetland habitat on our land, which they are doing very successfully.
This kind of habitat has been greatly reduced by mankind over hundreds of years by drainage and hunting out of native beavers and recreating it has direct positive implications for freshwater productivity (including salmon) and habitat for owls, woodpeckers and water voles, among many others.
Beaver dams also purify water and mitigate both floods and droughts.
Eric McVicar clearly issued some accurate warnings in the past but he has got this one wrong.
Louise Ramsay.Bamff,Alyth.
Wool threat to wild birds
Sir, I read with interest your recent article about the RSPB calling for wool scraps and other materials to be put out for use as birds’ nesting materials.
In my view, wool strands should be cut into very small pieces.
Long strands catch and bind round chicks and adults legs and feet and have been known to cut off the circulation, causing loss of legs and feet and disabling the birds and causing death.
It is sad to see birds with disabled feet when it is easy to cut wool to safe lengths, which would be very welcome to birds.
Margaret J. Webb.2 Castle Terrace,Broughty Ferry.
Energy grab plan for Libya
Sir, Why are we killing Libyans? Why can we not stay out of others’ internal affairs?
Libya’s neighbour Egypt has a large well-equipped army and, if it wished, it could end the fighting in one day by separating the warring factions.
But that does not seem to be part of the plan.
I predict that we will install a puppet government then stage a rigged election where the puppet government will denationalise the Libyan oil fields.
So, like our oil, it will be foreign owned by international companies.
Take a look at Scotland. Where was the wealth that coal and oil brought the British Government? Where has it been spent?
Certainly not in the mining areas. And what of the oil wealth? A few office buildings in Aberdeen but across the rest of Scotland, plywood shutters adorn our high streets. Our oil wealth has been squandered by Westminster on wars and foreign aid.
It is time we took a leaf out of the Swiss book on democracy no wars and no major change without a referendum.
John Phimister.63 St Clair Street,Kirkcaldy.
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.