Education goals are challenging

SIR, – In presenting her programme for the coming session the first minister has acknowledged that improving education is her main priority.

But are the measures in place to effect this?

The proposed creation of regional advisory committees will perhaps address the vexed issue of communication but will the marked increase in accountability for head teachers help or hinder the recruitment of applicants for those posts?

Issues of improving literacy and numeracy, narrowing the attainment gap and restoring our PISA maths-science rating are foremost.

Improvments to the first two will be marginal, at best, without a national programme of standardised diagnostic testing accompanied by fully-funded remediation.

Improving PISA will be difficult with current declining numeracy coupled with the inability to attract enough teachers of STEM subjects. Dr Walter J. MacCulloch, Causewayend Crescent, Aberchirder