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Sceptical Scot

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Scottish education

Prophets without honour in their own land

January 3, 2022 by Walter Humes 6 Comments

“Scots have a self-image of being frank and forthright.  Within the professions at least, this is rarely justified.  Agreement with official policy rather than plain speaking is the dominant form of discourse at the upper levels of Scottish education. Similar tendencies can be seen in law and medicine….”

Saturation point: why Scottish education needs fewer probation teachers

July 9, 2021 by Ross Fulton 3 Comments

“62% of new teachers cannot secure full-time permanent jobs yet teacher training numbers are at their highest level in a decade. Scottish education must wean itself off cheap probationers before more damage is done.”

Education: no more business as usual

April 11, 2021 by Walter Humes 3 Comments

“Change can be difficult and uncomfortable, but there is unlikely to be a better time to begin to dismantle some of the barriers which have impeded genuine growth.  Scottish education needs to escape from the ‘iron cage’ of its own bureaucracy.  This will require vision, honesty and courage, qualities that, sadly, have not been in plentiful supply among political leaders (of all parties) in recent years.”

Why do we need a Year of Childhood?

January 9, 2021 by Sue Palmer Leave a Comment

Scotland – like the rest of the UK – is experiencing an epidemic of mental health problems among children and young people.  An epidemic that, thanks to COVID19, is now a terrifying threat to the long-term health of the nation. But there is hope – if we can seize the opportunity, writes Sue Palmer

Free school meals and child poverty

December 6, 2020 by Emma Congreve Leave a Comment

‘Child poverty is a systemic and deep routed issue that has been prevalent in our society for too long.  However, universal free school meals all year round are unlikely to be the most effective way of tackling this issue.’

Two attainment gaps in Scottish education

August 15, 2020 by Walter Humes 12 Comments

On the SQA crisis: ‘At the heart of Scotland’s educational malaise is a serious deficit in the quality of thinking at the top.  Such a climate is a recipe for the apotheosis of mediocrity. Too many of those in senior positions are ineffective time-servers, compliant functionaries or political opportunists.’

Over-recruited but under-employed

August 15, 2020 by Ross Fulton 6 Comments

‘Swinney’s actions during the pandemic have not inspired confidence. The pattern of announcing policy, being sent homeward to think again before quickly reversing that policy, has been almost comical. For instance, he should have foreseen that a categorical pledge to NQTs would marginalise any teachers who were not in that category.’

Educational Erewhon

June 28, 2020 by James McEnaney 2 Comments

‘Scotland likes to see itself as a bold, brave, progressive, dynamic 21st Century nation, but the truth is more insular, conservative, deferential and, in the end, suffocating – not just for individuals, but for ideas and innovation too. Unless that changes, nothing else will.’

The politics of ‘independent’ reviews

June 28, 2020 by Walter Humes 4 Comments

‘As for the other people on the forum, it would be surprising if any ‘wild cards’ are to be found, since the tried and tested mechanisms of patronage ensure that those who get through the vetting process have to be judged ‘sound’.   In the conformist culture of Scottish education, any tendency to ‘rock the boat’ is unlikely to lead to career advancement.’ On the OECD review of the Curriculum for Excellence…

Schools ahead of their time – and ours too

June 27, 2020 by Fay Young 1 Comment

What might we learn from the progressive thinking which gave power to local public health officers who understood local lives and deaths.

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