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It was disappointing, although not unexpected, to see yet another story in THE dedicated to reopening the question of tuition fees in Scotland ("Ready to charge?", 15 April). The scarcity of persuasive hard data and pertinent quotes from the major political and academic players meant that the article added little to understanding of the issue.

Dubious assertions, scaremongering and unprovable counterfactual arguments are easily countered. There is no financial crisis in Scottish higher education, no breakdown in morale, no imminent brain drain, no research inferiority - and no significant support for tuition fees.

My students, at a flourishing modern university in the Central Belt, look with horror at the situation south of the border: the highest student debt in Europe, even before the imminent further betrayal of the "cap" on fees.

Please get the message that Scotland has different priorities and wishes to remain true to its tradition of free education, funded by a fair system of taxation.

Alistair Duff, Cumbernauld, Glasgow.