Letters: Beware this groundswell of discontent

Perhaps the violence of the student demonstrations (your report, 10 December) is a symptom of a much deeper malaise, since the increased fees may be an attempt to gerrymander the social profile of those who can attended university.

Does this mean that the old social order is being forcibly re-imposed, where only the rich can afford higher education, presumably leading to the exclusive professions of law and medicine, and the poor are condemned to the "lower orders" of employment?

Perhaps the involvement of Prince Charles and Camilla acted as a trigger, since they, rightly or wrongly, are seen as being at the vanguard of power and privilege.

Unfortunately, there can be little doubt the protest was hijacked by anarchist groups with their own agendas, but perhaps this, too, although worrying, should serve notice to the government that there is a deep groundswell of discontent abroad in the country and they ignore it at their peril. We can only hope Scotland does not see any repetitions of this violence when, inevitably, similar charges are introduced here.

BRIAN ALLAN

Keith Street

Kincardine-on-Forth

I'm sure most of us would not condone the use of violence in protests, and it was very unfortunate that Charles and Camilla were subjected to an attack on their car whilst travelling to a variety show.

However, Prime Minister David Cameron insists that he and the police are blameless. I'm afraid I disagree. The vote on student fees and the resulting protests were known weeks in advance, so who in authority decided Charles and Camilla in their royal limousine, probably worth more than the average family home, would drive down Regent Street to attend a plush black-tie variety show?

DEREK MARKS

Brook Street

Broughty Ferry, Dundee

In Scotland at present, students at our universities and colleges do not pay tuition fees but do have access to loans and bursaries. The furore in Westminster, therefore, may seem less relevant to Scotland. This issue, however, raises two other questions in my mind.

The first is that free (ie, fully state funded) education is available throughout the UK up to the age of 17/18, so why should further and higher education not be fully funded? The obvious answer is one of cost. However, I believe university degree courses could be delivered over a shorter period of time - particularly the Scottish four-year degree. Contact with lecturers is far, far less in higher education than in further education and the length of time universities are on holiday is disproportionate to the amount of knowledge that can be gained with the assistance of skilled, motivated and well-trained university lecturers. Lecturer contact in further education may be as much as 24 hours a week against eight hours in university.

The second question, therefore, is whether it is time to look at root-and-branch reform of higher education. I appreciate the level of ability and complexity in university courses may be more challenging, but would contend that, in itself, requires more, not less, student/lecturer contact. Online and distance learning have roles to play, but I know from my own experience as a practitioner there is tremendous added value in the human contact between lecturers and students and between students themselves.

CHRISTINE RICHARD, OBE

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh