Letters: Give education a higher priority than tram tracks

I left "Drummie" with a solid education, but much more importantly as kids growing up in a council estate we all had instilled into us a sense of pride and value as individuals.

As well as the academic achievements, Drumbrae's football team gubbed the rest of Edinburgh schools year after year by winning The Inspectors Cup. The fact that we had a massive green park to play on helped in this.

So, now the carpetbagger developers are trying to snatch this away from today's kids.

The News article had a section headed "Price of learning". Let's do some sums; land value 768,000 which will be diverted to the 18.5km tram line costing 545 million, of which the council portion is 45m. Thus, Drumbrae Primary School will pay for 1.7 per cent of a tram line which amounts to 314.5 metres of track for the 119 boys and girls.

That's how much Edinburgh City Council values a Drumbrae school kid; less than nine feet of track.

I think they are worth more.

If the electorate agree with me at the forthcoming Westminster election then John Barrett, the incumbent Lib-Dem MP (whose office is a stone's throw from Drumbrae) is in for a shock this time next year.

Hopefully he also will have a rusting political career going nowhere.

Gary Smith, Ardshiel Avenue, Edinburgh

School exists only in the imagination

ALISON CONNELLY (letters, 11 June) and I have often been on the opposite sides of the debate on the location of Portobello's new schools.

Alison has been a force to be reckoned with and deserves acknowledgment for her involvement both as one of only three members of St John's Parent Council and a stalwart of the Portobello Park Action Group.

Alison is keen to emphasise that PPAG are not against a new school and that they did fully participate in the consultation process, which they did.

The process was always going to mean compromise and sacrifice. Those of us who campaigned for the Portobello Park location are also stakeholders and I don't believe any of us would have opted for the location had there been a suitable alternative.

Portobello High is the top priority for the city council and St John's is some way down the list. Alison Connelly's reaffirmation of PPAG's intention to mount legal action to delay PHS replacement will also mean sacrifice for the staff and pupils of St John's. They will have to wait, perhaps for many more years, for their new school. I wouldn't say Alison Connelly or PPAG are against a new St John's but they must accept the consequences of their deliberate delaying tactics.

PPAG are perhaps not against schools per se but they must surely embrace reality. Ideologically they say they are for a new Portobello High, but the school they want is no more than a figment of their collective imagination.

There is only one location that has any political support – a school on Portobello Park. There is funding and unanimous political will to build the school there. Work has already begun and the community is planning and designing the new school. It is the only option and PPAG's opposition means that in reality they are against a new school. It is simply a matter of fact.

Stephen McIntyre, Portobello High Street

Cheap way to send the seagulls flying

THE gulls are a major annoyance in the area where I live and work. But do we really have to see the council spending yet more money before they again complain about being short?

A few drops of bleach (the 1 sprays are ideal) in the bag will keep any number of gulls away. Instead of council knee-jerk profligacy, it would be good to have some community action. Most people will take care to ensure their rubbish is not vandalised by gulls once they know how.

Chris Docker, Broughton

Time for Cameron to make his mark

THE Conservatives now control just about every council in England and Wales.

This is the chance for David Cameron, before the General Election, to show the electorate that he is fit to be Prime Minister and govern this country.

Public spending is now almost 50 per cent of national income – unsustainable.

He must look at the public sector and eliminate waste and inefficiencies.

There are far too many overpaid managers and non-jobs such as real nappy co-ordinator, diversity tsars, travellers' champions and numerous other examples.

Worst of all are those who are employed in the politically correct and diversity fields, make ridiculous pronouncements, and insist on "indoctrination" lectures.

Sack them and no-one would miss them. There are pompous officials who think they are untouchable and unsackable.

A recent case was where a farmer put in an official objection to a planning application for a travellers' site.

The official berated him and told him he was a racist.

What is this once great country coming to – a fascist state??

He and others of his ilk must be sacked.

Go on David, are you up to the challenge?

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow