The Scottish Government has long had an outward-looking dimension, reinforced this week when it announced it is to spend millions of pounds supporting the development of inclusive education in sub-Saharan Africa.

👉 Read our report here

That decision, however, is today strongly criticised by one of our readers.

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Christopher H Jones of Giffnock writes:

“I wonder how many of your readers were as shocked as I was to learn that the Scottish Government is to spend £21.5 million over the next five years supporting the development of inclusive education in the sub-Saharan African counties of Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda as reported by your correspondent James McEnaney. This is in addition to the £500,000 already committed to the World Bank’s Inclusive Education Policy Academy and the scholarships for woman in Zambia.

This commitment is all very commendable but surely not at a time when there is a general cost of living crisis here and especially when some Scottish pensioners are going to die this winter, due to the withdrawal of their winter fuel allowance without due notice, and many Scottish children continue to live in abject poverty. It is my opinion that this foreign support is more than excessive and should be pared back with a large portion of the aid being channelled into supporting the needy at home.”