The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Teacher left his mark
When Paul Hunt was teaching modern studies to countless thousands of children over the last 30 years, he had no way of knowing he inspired two of them in particular to follow careers in politics.
Although he’s spent more than two decades teaching at Perth Academy, Mr Hunt previously taught at schools in Fife and remembers Ruth Davidson in first year at Buckhaven High, and Alex Cole-Hamilton in his higher class at Madras College.
“What I remember about Ruth, I have this image in my mind, she was a very smiley wee girl, I remember her being an amiable kid.
“I remember Alex well, he was a chatty wee lad! Willing to talk and contribute, and he looks nothing like he does today.
“I remember this wavyhaired skinny boy. He was quite a character, a nice lad, chatty and enthusiastic.”
Ruth Davidson went on to a career in journalism then politics, where she was leader of the Scottish Conservatives for eight years, and played a leading role in May’s Scottish Parliament elections before being appointed to the House of Lords.
Alex Cole-Hamilton has been an MSP since 2016 and this month was elected as the new leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Both Ms Davidson and Mr Cole-Hamilton remember Mr Hunt as a snappy dresser, hanging out with the other younger teachers in their 20s at the time.
“I remember Mr Hunt as being really enthusiastic and energetic when he taught me, very young, just out of teacher training probably,” said Ms Davidson.
“The younger teachers seemed more cool, he was really dapper with these
arm braces on his shirt sleeves, and worked hard to bring the subject to life for people, with a youthful energy.
“Maybe because Buckhaven was his first school, everything was new for him and us, and everything seemed like a journey for all of us.
“The thing I loved about Mr Hunt was that he had a sense of internationalism about him and wanted to bring a sense of the world to the classroom.
Mr Cole-Hamilton also remembers his old teacher being sharply dressed.
He said: “Mr Hunt, I remember, had these very fetching waistcoats and he always had these bicycle clips around his sleeves which we were slightly baffled by at the time, but I now understood to be the height of fashion, so he was always quite a well-dressed man!”
Mr Cole-Hamilton now passes on his own enthusiasm for modern
studies when he visits schools and talks to students, and although he went on to study politics and international relations at Aberdeen University, he credits those high school modern studies classes in Fife for putting him on the path to Holyrood.
“I say look, if you’re interested in politics, get involved in modern studies. It is such a great entry into the world of public policy but also human rights, state craft and everything.”