Education secretary under fire for support of directly-elected university principals

University chiefs have joined forces to criticise education secretary Mike Russell over his support for the prospect of directly- elected university principals.

The chairmen of 13 Scottish university courts have signed an open letter which claims the measure would only serve to "politicise" the role of principals and turn it into a "popularity contest" at a time when tough decisions are needed. The signatories included Ewan Brown, senior governor of St Andrews, and Sir Moir Lockhead, senior governor at Aberdeen University.

Mr Russell, who yesterday visited the Plockton School of Traditional Music, has indicated that the idea of elected principals, proposed by Glasgow University academics, had "merit".