Letters: Standing up for beliefs can be dangerous in 2017 Scotland

Stifling the freedom of speech of teachers in areas of valid debate is sinister, writes a Scotsman reader.

Fears have been raised over a teaching crisis. Picture TSPL

Kathleen Leslie’s online insults were certainly unbecoming of an elected politician (“Tory councillor struck off teaching list for ‘drooling hag’ tweet to Sturgeon”, 22 September), and the General Teaching Council for Scotland had substantial grounds to question her suitability to teach.

However, I question the ability of the GTCS to distinguish between abuse and the expression of views at odds with the liberal consensus of the Scottish establishment. GTCS state that a teacher writing that “abortion is immoral” is in danger of transgressing their professional standards.

How dare they declare this teaching of the mainstream Christian churches to be potentially at odds with membership of the teaching profession!

It’s one thing to censure vulgar and insulting expression but quite another to stifle the freedom of speech of teachers in areas of perfectly valid debate, but GTCS seems unable to draw this obvious distinction.

GTCS is linked to government, making their intolerant attack on the freedom of expression of teachers more sinister still.

Standing up for what you believe in can be a dangerous business in the Scotland of 2017.

RICHARD LUCAS, Scottish Family Party, Glasgow