Sir, – As a loyal SNP stalwart, Fay Sinclair no doubt wins brownie points from John Swinney for her support for standardised Primary 1 tests (“Tests opposition dismissed as ‘grandstanding’ by councillor”, Courier, September 24) but unfortunately for Fife’s education and children’s services convenor, that support is blind.
It is blind to the knowledge and experiences of teachers and parents who have overwhelmingly come out against the tests.
It is blind to the professional opinion of the teachers’ union EIS which cites international evidence to show that such early formal testing is worse than useless.
And it is blind to the will of the Scottish Parliament, which this month passed a motion to halt the tests.
Worst of all, Ms Sinclair deliberately confuses the informal pupil-centred assessments of P1 pupils which teachers in Fife and elsewhere in Scotland have always carried out with the computerised standard tests now being imposed by Mr Swinney.
Unless children already have a knowledge of numeracy and literacy, as well as experience of using a computer to take such tests, they cannot even begin to do the tests.
Many children will not have these skills when they enter P1, and none should be expected to have them.
As with so many of his reforms, Mr Swinney has been caught out.
Rather than doing his homework properly, he’s got the party faithful covering for him.
Linda Holt.
Dreel House,
Pittenweem.
Auntie must justify herself
Sir, – It is with disbelief that I read that the BBC management were needing to increase the TV licence fee, and may abolish the over-75 age concession.
Why do they not stop paying out so much to news readers who read from an auto-cue four days a week, and earn around £250,000 per annum?
Another possible option would be to reduce the overall number of news readers and weather forecasters (as long as they keep Steph McGovern and Carol Kirkwood).
Most of these people make more than the Prime Minister.
I would dearly love to hear their justification for this.
Alister Rankin,
93 Whyterose Terrace,
Methil.
Make reporting of crime easier
Sir, – Regarding your piece in Saturday’s Courier on fly-tipping (“Fifers can help tackle fly-tipping”), the Scottish Government could help greatly by changing the law on evidence.
At the moment it requires an eye witness to the act of tipping for a prosecutor to entertain the case.
If evidence left in the tip connecting the tipper to the rubbish was admissible, more cases would come to court.
John Arbuckle.
The Smiddy,
Giffordtown.
Speed limit plan could backfire
Sir, – I read with interest about the study by the Glasgow centre for population which suggests a 20mph limit in all towns and cities in Scotland might save “between one and five lives a year”.
In theory the inconvenience caused to millions of motorists would be outweighed by the saving of even one life.
I suspect, however, that the face value of this report hides a much more sinister threat to lives, a threat that seems to be conveniently overlooked by the decision makers (that is politicians).
A car travelling at 20mph must run in at least two lower gears than travelling at 30mph, but still running at the same revs.
This means that every journey will take 50% longer and emissions will be 50% higher.
I will be delighted to be proven wrong by a health expert, but it seems to me this increase in emissions will have a quantifiable damaging effect to health and possibly increase the chances of children becoming asthmatic.
I don’t know how many people die from asthma each year but fear the disadvantages of reducing the speed limits will outweigh any gains the Glasgow group think we may achieve.
Ken Greenaway.
Culross House,
Torr of Kedlock,
Cupar.
Coherence is sadly lacking
Sir, – During the present political party argy-bargy on the pros and cons of Brexit, and the SNP assertions that Scotland needs yet more immigrants or the Scottish economy will go down the drain, would it not be a good idea for both Holyrood and Westminster to better consider the future employment opportunities for our children and grandchildren ?
I refer to the fact that a gradually increasing block on immigrant labour could have the effect of forcing UK employers in both public and private sectors to once again begin training and apprenticeship regimes instead of taking the cheap and easy option of importing employees from abroad, on both a short-term and long-term basis, and leaving our own children out in the cold.
Everyone seems to bemoan the fact that we never have enough skilled tradespeople and professional artisans, but if there is never a government-inspired training requirement in place, things will never get any better.
So if the SNP is really set upon improving the sustainability of employment for our citizens, can they please better consider the actualities instead of coming up with ill-considered spin whose only purpose seems to be to yet again rubbish any Westminster proposals or activities without the necessity of providing a better alternative that does not mean throwing open the doors of Scotland and the UK more generally, to whomever wishes to take up residence?
Derek Farmer.
Knightsward Farm,
Anstruther.
Consensus over arrogance
Sir, – As we watch the humiliation of the so-called British state it is time to pause and look back on the mess the little Englanders in the Tory party have created.
Mrs May and the Conservatives are making us all a laughing stock but still they plough on blaming those nasty Europeans for their demise.
Liam Fox was quoted as saying dealing with the EU would be “easy”.
Iain Duncan Smith is now calling the EU “arrogant, strutting boastful and bossy”.
A phrase involving the words ‘pot’ and ‘kettle’ springs to mind.
The Tories cannot, in all honesty, blame the EU for sticking to their principles and to do so is just another example of their arrogance.
It must be quite humbling for Conservatives to witness the demise of their party with constant in-fighting and chaos.
Perhaps now they may be learning a valuable lesson that their arrogance has got them into severe difficulty and made them look like a relic of the past.
Perhaps they may even, in time, listen to people and seek consensus – and stop believing in a long dead empire that was only good for a few.
Bryan Auchterlonie.
Bluebell Cottage,
Perth.
Migrants earn their place
Sir, – At the same time as the recent report from the Migration Advisory Committee outlined the impact of immigration on the UK, Oxford Economics published an assessment that highlighted the value of EU citizens to the British economy.
It noted that when it comes to the public finances, European migrants contribute substantially more than they cost, easing the tax burden on other taxpayers. Taxes will therefore have to rise if Brexit brings strict curbs on EU workers, because they pay far more to the public purse than British-born residents and also those from outwith the EU.
Migrants from the EU contribute £2,300 more to the exchequer each year in net terms than the average adult.
Over their lifetimes, they pay in £78,000 more than they take out in public services and benefits – while the average UK citizen’s net lifetime contribution is zero.
Non-European migrants will make a positive net contribution of £28,000 to £50,000.
This is because most EU migrants arrive fully educated, and many leave before the costs of retirement start to weigh on the public finances.
It is all well and good wanting to curb immigration from the EU, but people living in the UK must be made aware of the clear impact this will have on the British economy.
Alex Orr.
77 Leamington Terrace,
Edinburgh.
