Letter: Learning respect
A miner's son like me could have been a handful, but in the 1950s there was a shared concept of reasonable behaviour which united teachers, parents and the police.
The Butler Education Act allowed me to move on from the west-central coalfields to the high school in the nearby town, where I joined a tsunami of bright working-class kids.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRecently there has been no lack of trendy initiatives designed to remedy state school problems and lift the life chances of children from the industrial graveyards of Scotland.
Everything, in fact, except what was critical in my escape: iron discipline, a strong work ethic and the "three Rs" as the passport to a fulfilling life and career.
(Dr) John Cameron
Howard Place
St Andrews