Letter: We can't afford this misguided elitism

Is it the fact that Riddoch identifies the problems posed by a significant number of students entering university spending less than the equivalent of single working day each week in lectures, tutorials and other formal education?

Is she content that the work undertaken in various pre-university qualifications is simply ignored and students are subjected to the frustration of re-learning the content of these areas of study as part of their seven-hour week? Or is it simply that McAlpine is a passionate believer in the philosophy of the intellectual that promotes universities for the intrinsic value of learning and not necessarily to prepare young people with the skills for employment.

McAlpine mischievously portrays Lesley Riddoch's views as suggesting that ALL universities should have three-year degrees. A closer consideration of the article simply suggests that some should. It also points out the waste caused through duplication of learning between schools - further education and higher education - of which there is abundant evidence.

The point is the amount of public funding that could be saved if the vocational degrees were funded for only three years and this money spent on increasing the number of apprenticeships and other equally relevant and valuable forms of training in industry that could then articulate to shorter or part-time degree programmes and HN awards. Hardly the stuff of the loony Left and certainly not a radical proposal to cut public services for the poorest.

By all means let us have a debate about the strengths and weaknesses of our education system, and equally let us examine what works, be it American, Danish or any other nation's pride and joy. But let us also acknowledge that in these difficult times it is simply not good enough to portray a one-for-all framework based on some misguided elitism.

We can then be satisfied that we can offer our students qualifications that build on their strengths and offer employers the workforce with a variety of skills they so often crave - whether it be intellectual, practical or vocationally based.

To do otherwise is simply to ignore the reality of the waste that effectively denies the opportunity to use our scarce resources to greater effect.

Colin Dalrymple

Scottish Training Federation

Swanston Road

Edinburgh