Glad that youth has the power
Dear Editor I agree with George McMillan’s letter (Perthshire View, Impact of Student Vote), June 18.
Why should we spend taxpayers’money to educate the children who come from poorer backgrounds when we have plenty of high achievers from private schools where with intensive coaching even the dumbest is ensured a place at our top universities?
Even if that fails with the assistance of their former classmates, the elite who govern our country they can be assured of a top job in industry or commerce.
As George says attending a minor university such as Newcastle (see top 50 list) has its downside as you can well be influenced by all these lefty working class students and (God forbid)become left wing oneself.
It is only in academe that left wing views persist into old age and over decades the establishment in Britain have learned how to deal with these troublemakers.
It is not only student grants that we should abolish. What about those who benefit from social security, state pensions, and subsidies for rich farmers.
Think about it, if we scrapped that lot we could update our nuclear arsenal and be a real power in the world. Jim Ferguson, Perth
Dear Editor - Last Thursday and Friday the people of Auchterarder were treated to two exceptional lunchtime concerts presented for them by the Community School of Auchterarder.
Mrs Frances Gillies, Head of Music in the school, presided over the events, which were organised in collaboration with Friends of Aytoun Hall. There was a different programme on each day.
The school pipe band and drums played outside the Aytoun Hall before the start of each concert in which numerous pupils showed off their evident talents. Over 50 young musicians took part in the finale on both days; the brass, woodwind, pipes and drums playing the rousing piece,‘The Rose of Kelvingrove’ arranged by David Knox.
These two events, attracting an almost‘full house’, were outstanding and a credit to the Community School and its music department.
On behalf of the Lang Toon’s community and those who attended the concerts, I would like to publicly thank, through your pages, the Community School of Auchterarder for once again entertaining the community in which it sits. Those who attended were generous with their entry donations.
This will enabled Friends of Aytoun Hall to pass on £600 to the School to assist with the development of young musicians and encourage them to progress in their musical education. That progress will hopefully be sampled at the 2018 June concerts. David Homewood Convener Friends of Aytoun Hall
Dear Editor I’m writing to let your readers know that right now in Scotland there are 396 people currently waiting for a kidney transplant, and every single day in the UK one person will die whilst waiting for their kidney. This has to change.
Most people don’t want to think about their kidneys, but the reality is that one in eight people will develop Chronic Kidney Disease which can affect their general health and may ultimately mean they might need dialysis or a transplant in order to stay alive. The average time waiting for a kidney on the transplant list is three years and there are almost 30,000 people on dialysis in the UK, a treatment that leaves patients hooked up to machines for hours at a time for several days every week, which has a knock-on impact on their ability to study, work, socialise and ultimately live their lives to the full. Kidney patients constantly tell us that greater awareness of kidney disease and the impact it can have on their lives would be lifechanging for them, which is why we’re calling on your readers to become kidney aware by visiting www. kidneycareuk.org. Ewen Maclean Patient Support and Advocacy Officer, Scotland Kidney Care UK
The future’s bright Students should be given more support says our letter writer