Lifelessons

Many will be appalled at the destructive actions of visitors to part of the Cairngorms National Park (your report, 3 July). These mirror those of many young people who recently left huge amounts of rubbish on Troon Beach. Such actions are far more common in Scotland than in many other countries.

There is much debate on the state of Scottish education but the focus is usually on "standards" in schools. These are decided by results in national (mainly written) examina tions. Pupils are continually assessed with regard to their competence in the subjects covered by these. Seldom considered are attitudes more relevant to future lives and societal cohesion than academic qualifications.

Some pupils lack empathy and respect for others. Racist, homophobic and sexist attitudes abound. Bullying, mainly by posts on social media, is rife. Teachers can do little about it.

Some men, even ones with good academic qualifications, abuse and threaten those with whose opinions they disagree. Often their victims are welleducated women in responsible positions. Some victims have withdrawn from public life as a result. In universities women students are subject to harassment by male counterparts. Seeking to improve matters without addressing the above behaviours is pointless.

Equating education with schooling is akin to confusing health with medical services. Schools cannot solve many educational problems which originate beyond them. This is one of them.

JOHN MUNRO

Glasgow