HOW intriguing to read Thursday’s National the headline covering that “old chestnut” regarding another notable politician, Rishi Sunak, choosing to finance the private education of his kids with eye-watering amounts of money.
He was previously engendered in the same way by his parents, who saved up enough money to send him to the exclusive Winchester College. They, like many other like-minded people in this country, know the opportunities their kids can potentially gain compared to “less advantaged”children (in their view) who are no different intellectually other than being educated in state schools.
They know full well what they are acquiring to enhance the future prospects of their kids.
Reflect back two decades to a similar scenario with a “red Tory” Labour PM named Tony Blair (pictured) and the same criticisms regarding educating his children at the London Oratory – very embarrassing for Labour officials who were “talking a good game” regarding improved state education for all. Not for Blair – educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh at great expense to his parents. Again, they knew exactly what they were getting for their money!
Also don’t forget a good number of his fellow Labour MPs were doing the same thing at the time, their hypocritical, selfish philosophy being it’s alright for them and different for the plebs. The two-tier education system is “alive and kicking” and it certainly won’t go away any time soon. It is part of our culture and embedded in Scottish society.
My personal view is that education is not negotiable – top-class education should be available to all our children, especially in a small country like Scotland, and Scottish education should not be irritatingly used as a “political football” by the likes of the Tory government in London. We should have equal opportunities for all of our young people, not for a select few!
I live in Edinburgh, a Scottish city where it is estimated about 25% of schoolchildren are privately educated. Come to Edinburgh and study the educational division, something that is clearly accepted by its citizens.
I have witnessed this educational divide for decades and have been quizzed down the years regarding this issue by many people from outside the UK, a common question being, “Why do this”? My answer: “Freedom of choice”, but that doesn’t negate the criticism of such a divisive and unfair system of educating the future citizens of our country.
I’d love to see a future top-class Scottish education finally established to absolutely pulverise the attainment gap to a point where private education would be seriously minimised and under threat. However, I’m not holding my breath in great anticipation.
Bernie Japs
Edinburgh
THE chip-on-shoulder carping at the Prime Minister’s choice of schooling has started early. This is sheer impertinence. Where a family chooses to school its children is a matter for them alone, not some nosey outsider.
I have noticed all the comments about Eton in the past, but I think most of the detritus on the Tory benches did not attend Eton. I think it may well be found that many of the more obnoxious Tories were educated far from Eton. I am not in any way defending Sunak or any other Tories, just leave their children out of it please, there are plenty of real matters to attack on.
R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian
THE chair of the Alba Party, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, suggested that a Scottish Referendum Bill should have been tabled in the Scottish Parliament last week so that “the new undemocratically selected Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could be confronted immediately with a democratic demand from Scotland’s elected representatives” (Playing by Queensberry rules isn’t how an opposition party should operate, Oct 26).
This brings into question whether or not she recognises the result of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, which produced a clear majority in favour of holding an independence referendum. Every day the FM, MPs, MSPs and many others make the point that the Scottish Parliament already has a democratic mandate to hold an independence referendum.
Holding a referendum that will produce the end result desired by a pro-independence victory, that is recognised internationally, is absolutely vital. That is the aim of the Scottish Government. Just ask the pro-independence Catalan parties if you believe otherwise. Holding a referendum for the sake of it, which will be boycotted by the “No” side, is infantile politics in the extreme.
What is required is a new “Yes Scotland” to bring together all of those parties, groups, organisations and individuals in favour of independence. It worked well in 2014; now we are starting from a much higher base of support.
Independence is not just for Christmas; it’s for life. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly with the acceptance and support of the international community.
Perhaps Tasmina can tell us how tabling a referendum bill last week would have resulted in an internationally recognised referendum and referendum result.
David Howie
Dunblane
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