Letter: Varsity reforms

The reflex reaction of university principals to any funding shortfall is to fleece the students (your report, 28 October), with their last thought being internal reform. While universities persist with teaching practices appropriate to the 1700s Scotland will never have a higher education systems which scales.

The harsh reality for our learned friends is that their institutions are not only unaffordable, they are simply no longer required by the vast majority of students. An Edinburgh cafe was good enough for JK Rowling and a student sitting in Starbucks already has the necessary environment to learn. What's missing in Scotland is a desire to provide educational content, accessible and affordable by all.

Breaking the link between the content universities provide and the qualifications they award is the first step to creating a new dynamic educational market.

Forcing universities to offer cheaper/remote access to all their courses would be another welcome step to a modern education system. Shame none of these options are on offer to students at next year's Scottish Parliament election.

Calum Miller

Polwarth Terrace

Edinburgh