State control of private schools no answer

Has Lord George Foulkes had a rush of blood to the head in his call for private education to be brought under state control (your report, 23 March)?

How would bringing well run, efficient and high achieving private schools into the state sector – under the unimaginative hand of local authority control – transform and inspire state sector schools in Edinburgh? Such schools would not benefit from the inevitable dilution of educational standards by such a process.

The answer to Lord Foulkes's desire for improvement in the state sector is not to give the kiss of death to private education, but to go full out to emulate these schools which he so envies; study how they operate, spend more on better state facilities and better staffing and free the state teachers from the bureaucratic and stifling control under which, currently, they seek to perform.

ANDREW C McWILLIAM

Boreland Road

Kirkcudbright

Your report that Labour in Holyrood is now considering looking into how schools are managed is ironic, considering the near hysterical criticism aimed at former first secretary for education Fiona Hyslop for even daring to suggest that it might be removed from council control at some future date.

Ms Hyslop lasted a mere few days in her post after floating the idea. Perhaps time may eventually prove that her only crime was to be too far ahead of her time.

SOPHIE L ANDERSON

Marchmont Road

Edinburgh