Let’s stop playing political football and do something radical about education

I agree with Nicola Sturgeon that Ruth Davidson’s attack on her failures in education sounds more like a rant than a radical view.

Politicians have long been unable to understand the theories underlying training for teachers, and Theresa May’s plan to bring in free schools and grammar schools has been roundly attacked (even by parliamentary committees) as just a waste of vital money.

Curriculum for Excellence was another heavy load for teachers and has had a bad press for examination blunders alone. Do I hear politicians defending its ethos? That alone shows that no one thinks it was worth all the effort.

If politicians could agree on an educational plan and clearly defend its value, then there would be less cynicism among teachers and parents as to the likely improvements.

So, time to stop playing political football with teachers and our young people – and actually get radical about proposing real educational change.

ANDREW VASS Corbiehill Place, Edinburgh

At this week’s First Minister’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon had her usual bagful of props and diversions ready to avoid properly answering her opponents’ questions (“Davidson hits out at SNP for ‘ten years of failure’ in education”, 4 May).

The ten-year anniversary of the SNP coming into power was notable enough, but add in people going to the polls the next day for local elections and the general election getting into full swing, and it was clear there would be some verbal fireworks.

In the event, the First Minister brushed off references to the SNP’S broken promises and the demonstrable negative impact on education, healthcare and other critical public services from a decade of a Scottish Government distracted by its most important priority. Instead, she chose to mock her opponents for talking about the very thing that has done so much damage to this country namely, the SNP’S unrelenting drive to get their way on the break-up of the UK.

Of course, other parties seek to hammer home the point that if Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP had focused their best mindsandenergiesonmanaging Scotland effectively for the last ten years, then the educational attainment gap might not have continued to widen, morale among teachers, doctors, nurses and police might not be at rock-bottom, and our local councils might not have seen their budgets squeezed in favour of the SNP Government’s populist priorities.

The SNP Government’s spin doctors love to dominate debate, often manipulating the issues to suit their grievance agenda, yet leaders seem to expect opponents to stay silent on the consequences.

KEITH HOWELL West Linton, Peeblesshire