Stop the subsidy

Congratulations to Michael Fry (Opinion, 16 April) on thinking the unthinkable about the current support of Gaelic in Scotland.

If folk outside the traditional Gaelic-speaking areas want to pursue the Gaelic language as a hobby, then fine, but not with the financial support of the Edinburgh parliament.

It would be far better to redirect the subsidy going to Gaelic television and classes to improve the teaching of English so that our school leavers can communicate more elegantly in the language that will help their progress though life, and assist the economy at the same time.

For a second language, some young people would be better learning, for instance, Mandarin Chinese in order to advance the trading success of Scotland, or even Latin, so that modern European languages would be more readily acquired.

We do not need language policies that fit an inward-looking nationalist agenda when we have to make our way in a highly competitive world.

DOUGLAS BROWN

Overton Drive

West Kilbride, Ayrshire