Selective quotations

Sir, - I am writing in response to MSP Jenny Gilruth’s comments in your article, Lack of female heads is a concern for MSP (August 19).

Statistics presented in a particular way can prove (or disprove) just about anything and it is disappointing that Jenny Gilruth has chosen to go down that route so early in her parliamentary career.

Under the previous administration of Fife Council, led by Ms Gilruth’s party, the SNP, the five executive directors were all male. In the four years of the current administration, there are now two male and two female executive directors (one post has been deleted).

Under the previous administration the three most senior posts in education were all filled by males.

Currently there are fours heads of education at Fife Council; two male and two female.

Sitting below the heads of service are education officers, where we would expect to draw our future heads of service.

Fife Council has significantly more female than male education officers.

There have been seven appointments of secondary headteachers in the last four years, three of those have been female.

Equally important, the number of women who have been promoted to deputy head and principal teacher positions, again, where we would expect to draw our future headteachers from, has risen significantly.

Of course, we have some way to go but I’m sure any objective reader

would agree that significant progress has been made, particularly in relation to the previous SNP-led administration.

It was disappointing that Ms Gilruth, rather than digging into the facts a little more carefully, chose to attack Fife Council. Bryan Poole.

Fife Council education spokesperson, 49 South Road, Cupar.