Sir, The courage, determination and vision of Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai will inspire everyone interested in education throughout the world. Yet as she opened the new Burntisland Primary School last weekend, her remarks about equality, justice and respect need to be qualified by a dose of reality (Monday’s Courier).
The question of respect in our schools might bring a wry smile to the face of many teachers and some parents. How many children arewithdrawn from school each year so their parents can take them on holiday? How many teachers face seriousdiscipline problems in schools? Why, despite nearly 150 years of free primary schooling in Scotland, do we still have so many problems with literacy and numeracy?
Malala’s experience has highlighted the plight of young girls in areas where the Taliban seek control. It highlights their problems, too, in many developing countries.
She is campaigning,correctly, for a basic human right. But we have cause to reflect on how we have become complacent about that right in the UnitedKingdom and elsewhere in the western world.
The idealism of one young woman should make us all think about how we abuse valuable assets.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
Holding Mod in Dundee sounds great
Sir, I have just returned home after competing in the Royal National Mod as a member of Dundee Gaelic choir. The Royal National Mod is the premier Gaelic festival that celebrates our language and music. This year it was held in Paisley.
There can be no more beautiful sound than when the massed choirs gather together and become one choir. The sound is amazing. Theconductor mooted the idea that this should be the National Gaelic Choir of Scotland and should sing at the Commonwealth Games. Food for thought?
But the comment started me thinking. Dundee is bidding for the City of Culture, which I wholeheartedlysupport. Surely bidding for the privilege to host the Royal National Mod in the city could only boost the city of culture bid?
Dundee has much to offer the Mod: excellent accommodation, wonderful venues for choirs and all competitors, including our wonderful Caird Hall, and really interesting and varied visitor attractions for the many visitors that would come to the city. Then there is the financial boost to the city.
The last time the Mod visited Dundee was in 1974, surely it is time to bring it back. If the town of Paisley can host it successfully, surely the city of Dundee can do even better. I urge Dundee City Council to bring thispremier festival to ourwonderful city again.
Elaine Ferrie. 6 Boniface Gardens, Invergowrie.
Classy host of Classic FM
Sir, As many of your readers may have noted, the broadcaster John Suchetwas in Dundee last week, broadcasting his Classic FM morning show from the Caird Hall.
Not only did he playwonderful music but he gave Dundee many favourable mentions in between. He highlighted the waterfront, V&A, the new swimming baths and lots more besides.
Rarely has Dundee had such glowing praise in the media. I thought it was terrific so much so, I emailed him to thank him and not only did he read the email out on air but he kindly visited my shop when he was finished his show. What a charming man.
Dundee could do with lots more of this type of publicity.
Dorothy Hegarty. Proprietor, The Cheesery, Dundee.
Rejected plan fairly handled
Sir, We write in connection with comments made by Gary Harris with respect to the rejected planning application to build a hotel/cafe and shop on the outskirts of Auchenblae.
Our family attended the Kincardine and Mearns area committee meeting asmembers of the public and listened to the councillors debate the proposed planning application.
We are confident the councillors made the correct decision to reject the application based on the application not meeting the 2012 Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (ALDP) policies and supplementary guidance requirements, and on road safety concerns that many residents living in Auchenblae have over the roads and pedestrian access leading to the development not being suitable.
The rejected hotel development was to be built in countryside out with the settlement boundary of Auchenblae, as identified in the 2012 ALDP, and not in the village, as Mr Harris comments in his letter.
Presently, there are two separate locations available in the village boundary to build a village hotel/pub without building in the countryside on prime agricultural land that has, for more than 20 years, been identified as a proposed conservation area to protect the character and setting ofthe historic west side of Auchenblae.
Mr Harris talks a lot about the process being undemocratic. However, the whole process could not have been more democratic.
I am not aware of any resident in Auchenblae who objected to a small hotel/pub being built in the village. However, there were 60 residents/families actually living in the village which, in a democratic way, made representation, with valid reasons, objecting to the proposed location of the hotel/pub being outwith the local development plan.
It should also be noted that the majority of these residents have, in the past, supported two hotel/pubs in our village.
Mr and Mrs A. Mills. Kircram, Glen Road, Auchenblae.
The councillors made right call
Sir, I write in connection to the letter submitted by Mr Harris with respect to the rejected planning application for a hotel/cafe and shop to the west of Granom, Auchenblae, claiming the planning process is not democaratic and councillors should not have the right to decide over the majority of support.
I disagree with those comments, as I attended all three meetings with regard to this application. A site visit by councillors was followed by a pre-determination hearing in the village. We were all given the chance to voice our views and opinions for support or objection.
I also attended the area committee meeting and witnessed the long debate and am confident the councillors made the correct decision: to reject the plan due to it not meeting ALDP policies and supplementary guidance requirements. I fully support the way ourcouncillors followed, handled and conducted this process.
Alan G. Thomson. Glen Road, Auchenblae.
Not a strong selling point
Sir, You have highlighted in recent days the economic boost to Perth of the SNP conference, which is indeed welcome.
However, I could not help noticing, while standing opposite the conference entrance at lunchtime on Saturday for approximately 45 minutes, as delegates came and went, that the young man selling The Big Issue managed one sale. This is the party that purports to champion the cause of the less well off actions speak louder than words.
Mark Liddiard. North Mains, Strathallan.
Fracking fears in the frame
Sir, On Saturday, along with some friends, I joined around 200 protesters at the anti-wind turbine demonstration in Perth a wonderful turnout considering the dreadful weather conditions which prevailed throughout the whole day.
Very little, if any, coverage of this extremely important issue was covered by ScottishTelevision. However, to its credit, Monday’s Courier had a report on the protest. But rather than highlight the input from the large and vociferous number of anti-wind turbinesupporters, The Courier chose to print a large picture of the anti-fracking supporters, who numbered no more than a dozen, which detracted from the main message of the demonstration, giving the green lobby more credence than it deserves on this occasion.
Alex Salmond will be pleased.
Dan Arnott. St Brycedale Court, Kirkcaldy.
Uppity natives and nimbyism
Sir, I agree with your correspondent Robert Potter (Monday’s Letters) that the anti-windfarm lobby is becoming tiresome. They are entitled to protest at Government policy there have been some very poor planning decisions (though these are taken by councils) but the demonstration I observed outside Perth Concert Hall on Saturday was hardly “good humoured”, as your report put it.
The charge of “incomer nimby” sometimes levelled against the shriller protesters in this debate is probably unfair few of us would want a wind turbine in our “back yard” although you do have to wonder how clever it was to turn up at an SNP Conference waving a huge Union flag but not a solitary Scottish saltire.
At times on Saturday there was more than a whiff of the coloniser’s rage at uppity natives taking their own decisions. Not a pretty sight.
David Roche. 1 Alder Grove, Scone.
Union should look to west
Sir, Workers earning £40,000 a year in a failing plant losing £150 million a year based in an unemployment black spot are asked to agree to a three-year rescue package.
Like millions of privatesector workers across the world, they face pay freezes, overtime cuts and restructuring of adebt-laden, overly-generous pension scheme.
If this was America, the men and their union would accept the deal and make a flat-out effort to turn things round, to at least keep their jobs and hopes for a better tomorrow.
Sadly, it is Scotland and instead of a pragmatic American union, Unite is a politicised, mainly public sector, union with a tenuous grip on the reality of international business.
The unions apparently believe Grangemouth cannot close but, then, they believed the same about Ravenscraig, Bathgate, Linwood, Singers, Timex, shipbuilding, mining…
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.