Congratulations to Neil Munro, editor of TESS, on his excellent period of leadership and creation of a lively and committed TESS team. His retrospective (18 Feb) is thought-provoking about the leadership of Scottish education and the teaching profession. Let us hope that the current financial challenges and the Donaldson review will stimulate creative thinking and collaborative partnerships eager to find new ways of working effectively together. May the new TESS continue to inform us, give us the chance to comment and share ideas and research outcomes. Thank you, Neil, and good wishes to you and your team for the new TESS.

JudithMcClure

Euroscola (11 Feb) is an excellent programme for pupils. As a probationer teacher and ex-participant, I know how effective this short trip is when it comes to immersing pupils in French. It’s also very much in keeping with the principles of Curriculum for Excellence. Brilliant!

Clar05

I agree with Iain Smith (11 Feb). Hanging materials on the web for a passive, non-interactive mode of study doesn’t work. “Blended learning” can work very well when the blend includes the “presence” of a tutor and the real presence of the teaching institution, eg, in face-to-face induction, clear relationships between students and teaching staff, libraries, student support, access to student associations. also ancillary online areas such as staffstudent areas and other social networking tools. The other presence required is that of other students.

Donald Macdonald.