The snow has crept a bit nearer to Seil – there is a smattering on the hills I look out on from my study window. All the media hype is sort of passing us by. Not so the stir over the university top-up fees issue. For the government to win their corner by a mere 5 votes is hardly a victory. It could be because I am getting older, but I am sad at the thought of a new generation of young people who are having to cope with a high burden of debt at the end of their university days. It affects mature students just as much, and the Church of Scotland, for example, has been having problems recruiting ministers. This will only make things worse. (I mean the fees and loans, not the weather).
Looking out at the snow makes me think of the chaos that would be caused were it nearer – clogging up the little island roads or bringing down the power lines. Perhaps the government shoujld look out at the level of opinion amongst the politicians and the country and consider the chaos that could be caused if people no longer study for vital disciplines.