Moneyunpoliced

the head teacher would expel the pupils with the most challenging behaviour long before the authority of the head and the teachers was compromised.

Of course, inability to expel trouble-makers is not the only factor behind this sorry tale. The feminisation of our education system is also partly to blame. Teenage boys need manly male teachers not just as role models, but also because, sexist as it may be, they are much less likely to get out of hand with adult males around.

A school, like any other social institution, is a hierarchy whose members, without even realising it, accept the authority of those in positions of leadership. As long as the leaders are willing and able to exercise that authority confidently and with a reasonable degree of fairness, the institution will prosper.

It is high time for a critical examination of the shibboleths of progressive educational and social policy which have undermined the authority of teachers with predictable results. Another shocking waste of taxpayers’ money at Police Scotland has been highlighted by auditor-general Caroline Gardner (The Scotsman, 9 December).

Audit Scotland said that a number of financial transactions authorised by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) were “unacceptable and did not represent a good use of public money”.

Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick was the recipient of payments agreed by the SPA. She acted in good faith at all times. She was paid £18,000 to relocate in 2014-15 and an additional £49,000 last year. Then the SPA paid her “benefit in kind” tax liability of £40,000 plus National Insurance of £13,000.

The auditor-general was also critical of the SPA. Why was John Foley, who was in charge of the SPA during the problems, given an early retirement payment of £43,470 plus £56,666 in lieu of notice since there were “a number of instances of poor governance and poor use of public money” during his watch?

Another insult to taxpayers was that a civilian was paid nearly £200,000 for only nine months’ work.

What has Michael Matheson, the SNP Justice Secretary since 2014, been doing during all these Police Scotland problems? Police Scotland is yet another SNP disaster.

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