Highland hydro developer’s investment promise; plus lessons for education and thanks to Culloden medical practice
Can state schools learn from the private sector?
Cousins of mine visited from Washington State, home of Boeing, Microsoft and Amazon.
I asked the nine-year-old girl what was her favourite subject - “I major in coding,” she replied.
My mouth hanging open in astonishment, I turned to her 11-year-old brother - he majored in engineering he volunteered.
I met a professional man on the west coast recently. He had taken his children out of his local school because they didn’t have a mathematics teacher - he explained maths was being taught online and none of the kids were passing the Nat-5 level maths.
My sister-in-law was a local computer teacher and has told me of the dearth of computer teachers in Scotland.
As a Westminster MP education is not in our remit: like health and transport, education is the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament.
It has been widely reported that Scotland, having had amongst the best education in the world, has plummeted in the PISA rankings.
I get a steady flow of emails from constituents asking if I can intervene and help their children.
Jenny Gilruth is the Scottish education minister and a former teacher. There were high hopes that she could make significant improvements, of which there is little sign of yet.
One hopes that she is looking at the Academies that have proliferated successfully in England and Wales to see what Scotland can learn. Also at Jordanhill Academy, a state school in Glasgow which year after year tops the academic tables, and unusually is not run by the education department but has autonomy in recruitment and resource education.
I have family members who teach in both state and private schools in Edinburgh.
One area of differential is “study leave” or “reading week”, a two or more week period when youngsters in state school are sent home to revise prior to exams.
There is one school in Lochaber where students have been on study leave for over a month.
More often than not the parents are at work and the kids have to motivate themselves. I can say, as the father of four boys, that it is an unusual child (boys in particular) who will work well alone.
Unlike state schools private schools use this period for intense revision at school with teachers putting in extra hours. This alone contributes to a significant attainment gap between state and private schools and you would have thought an easy fix for Jenny Gilruth.
Are our young being taught for the jobs of the future? We know that there is a huge demand for computing, tech, sciences and mathematics graduates. These graduates earn £10,000 a year more than humanities graduates and step into readily available work. Has the school curriculum changed as the job market has changed? Not much I reckon.
In the Highlands we know there is a huge demand for technicians and engineers to work in our energy infrastructure. We all want to give our youngsters an opportunity to have a well paid job and remain in the Highlands, our educational sector needs to step up to the plate to allow this.
Angus MacDonald
Lib Dem MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire
Thanks for medical practice care
At a time when the NHS receives more knocks than a postman gives on a busy round, I would like to acknowledge the excellent service I receive from the Culloden Medical Practice.
As I age gracefully, I find that my reliance on their service increases.
Since joining their practice 25 years ago I have always received wonderful service.
Whilst all staff are excellent, I would particularly like to highlight the caring, sympathetic, and professional service I receive from Dr Elizabeth Imray and nurse practitioner Joan Fraser.
Their caring attention is a credit to both them and the practice.
Ian McLean
Redwood Crescent
Inverness
Energy developer to give £20m per year to Highland communities
Glen Earrach Energy (GEE), developer of one of the UK’s largest pumped storage hydro (PSH) projects, has confirmed it will contribute five per cent of gross margin revenues from its proposed scheme to support long-term investment in Highland communities.
“Buying our favour!” - Alison Cummings
“Alison Cummings, Or investing in the local community. Even when people do good there's always a small group of small minded individuals like yourself who have to twist everything to be insidious.” - Louise Stewart
“Beads for the natives. They will wreck our beautiful landscape and ecology to make profits for themselves which dwarf this amount. And, in any case, no amount of money will make up for what they will destroy.” - Helen Smith
“This is bill payers’ money that they are giving away, if it wasn’t for the subsidies no wind farms would be built!!” - Charlie Mackay
“A fraction of the subsidies these people get from us for unreliable, environmentally destructive, expensive, unsustainable technology made mostly in China. What's not to hate.” - Susan Foster
“Try reversing the headline - £20m per year to irreversibly destroy Highland scenery, destroy Highland communities, Highland businesses and the wildlife, flaura and fauna within. Doesn't seem very generous then......and we're not even for sale. So just stop forcing yourselves upon us and go find more suitable sites that don't destroy nature and displace the people within or living next door to them!” - Alison Ellis
“Sounds good to me. It’s not like they are building a nuclear power station or gas turbines like Musk has in Memphis. We need electric to power AI etc and keep up with other countries. Better this than many other options.” - Heather Murray
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