No contrition over fiasco

After six days defending the exam grading process, nicola Sturgeon has finally apologised to pupils.

But with a complete lack of contrition, she has tried to portray herself and others responsible for this fiasco as hostages to the unprecedented circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

the first Minister failed to acknowledge that the intention to adjust individual pupils’ grades using their school’s previous performance was fundamentally wrong.

this had nothing to do with unprecedented circumstances and everything to do with bad judgment.

with a straight face, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Instead of doing what politicians sometimes do and dig our heels in, we are determined to acknowledge that and put it right.’ If six days defending the indefensible until forced – kicking and screaming – into apologising isn’t digging your heels in, I don’t know what is.

It’s amazing the turnaround when the scale of the backlash threatened the electoral prospects of Miss Sturgeon and her party.

AlAN WyllIE, largs, Ayrshire.

At last the SnP has admitted its failure over the exam results fiasco. the failures in education, justice and the nhS are astounding.

More worrying is that nicola Sturgeon’s loyal supporters will continue to vote for her regardless of these woeful decisions and policies.

for them, independence is more important.

DONNIE M., Bishopton, Renfrewshire. nIcOlA Sturgeon is a patter merchant who shuffles her deck through buzzwords and soliloquies, a pattern not lost on the many young people who have fought for the right for their exam results to be changed.

During her daily briefings the first Minister says she is above politics, but having vehemently scotched any room for change last week, she has now pirouetted, like some clumsy ballerina wearing the wrong shoes, into trying to make amends.

the only questions left are, what will become of John Swinney and why were poorer pupils targeted?

ARChIE MACKINNON, Glasgow. the SnP education fiasco is like something you see in third world countries. this is what SnP rule has reduced Scotland to – so when are people going to wake up? WIllIAM BAllANTINE,

Bo’ness, West lothian.