Forget about Scotland as ‘world-leading’ and just settle for plain competence

In The Scotsman’s editorial comment on Friday, 17 August it was stated: “It is simply no longer credible to describe Scotland’s education system as world-leading.” If it ever was “world-leading” is open to debate and one might find this to be something of a propaganda-driven national myth.

There seems to be little doubt, however, that internationally our education system was highly regarded and respected, though not, I would argue, for some considerable time.

Nevertheless, the Scottish Government would have us believe that it continues to be world-leading regardless of, as John Swinney obfuscates, it’s many “challenges”.

Indeed, this government is so prone to telling us how Scotland leads the world and the international community with things like our domestic policy agenda, our fracking policy, our public health and care system, our climate change targets and achievements, our wind and tidal energy innovations, our baby boxes etc, that you might think we’re living in some kind of Utopian garden when the truth is clearly radically different.

Personally I don’t care about being world-leading in anything; plain old boring competence would do me. That would be a good innovation from Holyrood, and if it ever came to pass, who knows, we might be able to honestly claim that we were a “world leader in being competent”.

OK, it doesn’t sound too sexy, but I’d settle for that.

IAN MCELROY

Heathfield Road, Thurso

How refreshing to read your editorial of 17 August (“Nice work but we must try harder”).

Your recognition of the complexity of problems in the education system and of the need to work collaboratively to resolve them is welcome. The same applies, as you recognise, to other policy areas such as health, transport, the economy and justice.

The tribal approach, where party politics trumps the national interest, really cannot continue. It does not serve us well. With the unprecedented challenges presented by Brexit and other financial constraints, there is a pressing need for politicians and others to work together to address major problems.

We need to move away from the traditional, adversarial, zero-sum blame game where we all lose.

We need to find the best outcomes, with deep understanding of the underlying issues and imaginative examination of all the possibilities.

This will be hard work and requires a shift in attitudes, culture and tone.

It can be done and Scotland is well placed to show leadership in this.

Are our politicians up for it? Let’s all hope that they will be. Our future may depend on it.

JOHN STURROCK

Collaborative Scotland, Edinburgh

With regard to the ongoing debate on the education system, could I suggest that it might be worthwhile trying to arrive at some consensus on what it should be trying to achieve? The present system does some good things. First and foremost it corrals a cohort of children for a good part of the day and year, thus allowing both parents to go out to work and earn a living.

It also ensures that the great majority of the population has the basic skills required in the modern world and, in addition, that a minority acquire professional skills, some of which are in demand.

Should we be looking for anything more and, if so, what?

Let’s decide that before we argue any further.

S. BECK Craigleith Drive, Edinburgh