Letters: What price on the future of city's children?

Published on Thursday 8 October 2009 09:23

AS A parent with one child at Trinity and another that will join in two years, I have been active in opposing the council's plans to close Fort and move all children to Trinity.

The proposal will in one fell swoop end the excellent progress that both schools have achieved in recent years, creating an overcrowded environment with reduced facilities and lowered funding for all children.

The council explains that it has a budget deficit of 14 million to address, yet these proposals will yield savings of just 177,000. Indeed, the savings are debatable, having fallen by 15,000 from the original projection following the announcement at last Tuesday's public meeting at Trinity that refurbishment costs will double.

The council has told us that Edinburgh's children are at the heart of their decisions. Are they now telling us the true price they put on education?

Paul Jeffrey, Dudley Crescent, Edinburgh

Too risky to work with youngsters

WHAT a sad day it is when a lollipop man feels he has to resign his job because he has been banned from handing sweets to the children (Banned from giving sweets to kids, Evening News, 5 October).

When I was of school age, I regularly got sweeties from a wide range of people, including the local street sweeper, the fishman on his rounds and occasionally from the old lady who lived at the end of the street.

There was one year when I bought our lollipop lady a Christmas present and she gave me a cuddle and a kiss on the cheek, but heaven forbid, nowadays all these folk would be in the jail.

If it came to the crunch and I saw a child in some sort of danger I would be tempted to walk away in the opposite direction and allow fate to deal with itself. Why should I put myself at risk of having an unfounded allegation levied against me?

Mr Alastair Macintyre, Webster Place, Rosyth, Fife

Shakespeare show unfairly criticised

I HAVE had my attention drawn to the review by Neil McEwan of the Shakespeare Schools Festival at Brunton Theatre (Bard's legacy in safe hands of youngsters, News, 30 September).

As the teacher in charge of the Dunbar Grammar School production, I accept that he is entitled to his opinion, but it would have been a good idea for him to have done a little research before being so critical – the texts the schools work with are not abridged by the schools but by professional writers. Whatever inadequacies arise from that are the fault of the abridgers, not the schools.

It is also a little harsh to complain of young pupils not understanding all the words that are included. That could be said of many, nay even most, Shakesperean scholars.

The very fact that pupils are prepared to put themselves up for criticism by such as Mr McEwan is greatly to their credit.

These are not professional actors but school pupils, many of whom have never acted on a large stage before.

He should be commending them, not carping about them.

Gordon Roberts, Dunbar Grammar School

Rethink treatment for booze addicts

REGARDING your story 'Sixteen people a day given pills to fight booze addiction' (News, 29 September).

Adam Morris' excellent story highlighting the rise in the prescription of disulfiram and acamprosate calcium to alcohol dependents in and around Edinburgh and its cost to the taxpayer illustrates the bankruptcy of the current approach to the treatment of alcoholics.

This story exposes the calamitous ethos behind current treatment provision and the urgency of a rethink. Despite alcohol-related hospital admissions and rates of alcohol addiction soaring, the health mandarins continue to pedal the policies of 'harm reduction' and 'controlled drinking' that are so palpably failing.

Conspicuous by its absence is an agenda for recovery, enabling people, as Dr Jonathan Chick of Edinburgh University put it, to break free of addiction and find 'a life without alcohol'. This can be best achieved by providing the kind of intensive, abstinence-based treatment that gives people the tools to live healthy and fulfilled lives without drinking.

Robert Beckett, director, UK Advocates

We must always remember Ewan

I AM writing to express my support for your campaign for firefighter Ewan Williamson to be honoured with a Queen's Bravery Award.

Ewan Williamson gave his life on the morning of Sunday, 12 July 2009 in the service of the City of Edinburgh and because of that we will be forever in his debt. Ewan's tragic loss is a timely reminder of the bravery of those in the fire service and the risks they take in the service of others.

It may be of interest to know that I submitted a motion to the council meeting on 20 August, 2009 which resulted in the council unanimously agreeing to work with Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue to identify an appropriate form of joint recognition.

George Grubb, Lord Provost