Letter: Insular view

Now the Tories are raising the cap on English university fees, the usual cry goes up that Scottish universities must follow suit or they will "fall behind".

It's very insular to look only to England for an example. Universities are supposed to have an international outlook. How do they manage in other European countries? Some countries charge tuition fees, others don't.

In Germany, Hamburg universities, for example, charge fees, while Berlin offers free tuition. Is Berlin University considered an inferior institution? Has it "fallen behind"? On the contrary, it is one of the most competitive universities and admission requirements are higher than average.

As for the suggestion of a "graduate tax", this might have made some sense in the days when attending university was a rare privilege, and a degree gave access to a well-paid career. Today, more than 50 per cent of school-leavers go on to higher education. Most of them come out with honours degrees. Many of them might have preferred to go straight into a good job or apprenticeship if such had been available. A degree - particularly a non-vocational one - no longer impresses employers, and today's graduates face the same uncertain future as all young people on the threshold of adult life.

MARY McCABE

Circus Drive

Glasgow