PERIODICALLY, The Herald publishes a Scottish Independent Schools prospectus, which I usually read with sickly fascination. I was particularly interested in the article on Kelvinside Academy (Herald insert, January 3). We read that Kelvinside is big on digital culture (involving a prestigious Digital Schools Award, partnership with Boston-based NuVu, collaboration with experts from MIT and Harvard, building and programming robots, a Thinking Space Library inspired by Silicon Valley hosting computers and iPad stations to access online subscription content platform)s. “Pupils can use iPads… rather than relying on jotters and pencils”. iPads, smart boards, the “Virtual Learning Environment Frog”, dynamic websites…

I don’t know about you, but it sounds to me like an absolute nightmare. To be fair to Kelvinside, its outdoor campuses sound rather good, and if I were a pupil there I would certainly stay outdoors for as long as I possibly could. But isn’t this infatuation with information technology (IT) getting out of hand? Anyone who watched the BBC news on Tuesday evening (January 2) must have been struck by the contrast between a report lauding the latest robotic diagnostic technology, followed by a report that our hospital emergency departments can’t cope and are in meltdown. One thing IT cannot do is prepare you to face the world as it really is. Give me a jotter and pencil, and a good teacher, any time.

I went to a state school – Hyndland. In my day school uniform was optional (walking up Clarence Drive, I don’t think much has changed). I can’t resist recounting the time our chess team played away at Kelvinside. As we crossed the playground, someone was heard to remark, “Look at the scruff.”

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Six boards. We beat them, five and a half, to a half.

Dr Hamish Maclaren,

1 Grays Loan, Thornhill, Stirling.

IF ever there was an example of a half empty glass it is your front page today. That unprecedented numbers of young Scots seek education to sixth year level (“School resources drained by rise in sixth form pupils”, The Herald, January 3) is a phenomenal achievement by an education system which has been under consistent attack by opponents, political and media, of the SNP Government.

It is the dedication of our teaching profession which has achieved the wonderful wish among our young to continue in education. It is the Scottish Government which has made that possible and it is the Scottish Government which will somehow overcome the remarkable opportunity of 700 professional vacancies.

KM Campbell,

Bank House, Doune.