Trump, the draft dodger, says he would have tackled the Florida shooter

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The US President says he would have run into Parkland school during the shooting even without a gun (Getty)

Donald Trump claims he would have gone into the school and tackled the gunman. The last time Donald had the chance to face a gunman he avoided the draft.

Jack Liebeskind
Cheltenham

A lesson for lecturers

In scenes reminiscent of the brutal industrial disputes of the 1970s, striking lecturers stormed a classroom in Sussex University and started a violent affray with students attending the lecture.

Of course lecturers want their gold-plated, defined benefit pensions to continue but they live in a country where the private sector had to change years ago and others have no works pension at all.

We had no support from the groves of academe when we had to change and most of us didn’t have the job security to strike so it’s time lecturers left their ivory towers for the real world.

John Cameron
St Andrews

Let’s sharpen our pencils

There have been comments in the media that students can’t hold pencils or pens as they use iPads and similar technology. They point a finger rather than a nib.

Although iPads and similar gadgets are pervasive and all-consuming for younger children the tests and exams they do are generally handwritten. The use of internet testing for end-of-year national exams is a long way off as connection dropouts happen and with this many users’ access slows down.

As a teacher I have told a number of students the simple truth that “if they can’t read it they can’t correct it” which is probably a bit simplistic although as most examiners are correcting hundreds of papers in a short time and they don’t want to try to unscramble scribblings.

A quick check of a child’s pen grip shows that many hold it in a claw scratching into the paper rather an elegant light grip which enables the pen to swivel easily and flow.

The basics are there for a reason and all students must be able to communicate their ideas in a manner that can be read and not using emojis or text talk.

Perhaps the educational experts should revisit the basics rather than the latest trendy innovations. Let’s sharpen our pencils and tell the students to use the pointy ends gently and fluidly and start earning their pen licenses.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne, Australia

Bright spark idea

I live in Norway and have owned an electric car for almost four years. Norway levies many taxes including targeted ones to influence behaviour, ie normally as a “stick” like high taxes on alcohol and cigarettes to reduce consumption for the benefit of society (and the individual). But, Norway also invests heavily in “carrots”. For example, good network of cycle paths, and for the last four years, dramatic reduction in tax for new electric cars. This makes some of the electric cars lower cost than the diesel equivalent. Other incentives for electric cars are lower road tax, no toll charges on toll roads, use of taxi/bus lanes (this is very valuable depending on where you are travelling!). Fifty per cent of all new cars were electric last year and increasing. All main cities have targets to be fossil-free by 2030.

Lessons for the UK perhaps? Increase some sticks to pay for the carrots!

Scott Peacock
Norway

Hot topic

The simple solution to the shortage of hot cross buns at Easter time is to bake one’s own.

Elizabeth Wilkins
Clun