Reporting Scotland today was in full propaganda mode as they reported selectively, and responding obediently to prompting from the Conservative and Unionist party branch in Scotland. Here are the key comments and responses:
- A drop in the number of Higher Exam passes. The Scottish Government’s accused of trying to bury the figures.
- The details emerged in a Government report which was published at 8 o’clock last night.
- But the Conservatives argue that the data is [sic] a sign of clear and systematic problems.
- Jamie it isn’t just the figures that caused the criticism, is it? It’s the way they emerged. Indeed, they emerged via this report which went online at 8 o’clock last night though it is worth making the point that the figures had been available in raw form elsewhere for several months.
- The Conservatives describe the timing as snide and cynical.
- Are we talking here about simple annual fluctuations or are we getting at more fundamental questions about the education system, itself.
‘Bury the results’ at only 8pm? Really, is that all it would take? More than 2 hours before RS at 10.30pm, was no one around to respond? I appreciate the Tories would be sleeping off the effects of an extended late lunch and two bottles of a cheeky wee Beaujolais before bed.
The ‘snide’ and ‘cynical’ timing is a good one. That they should call others this is a hoot and, remember, the data were available in a ‘raw’ form ‘for months.’ Can the research assistants working for the BBC and for the Tories not read raw data? The bairns who passed H Maths or Higher Geography or Higher Modern Studies could.
Now Jamie McIvor pretends the results are not explained but they are. First, the overall drop was ‘relatively small’ for the 2019 exam diet in which 36 out of 38 subjects had changes which means (page 4) ‘that any comparison between pass rates in the 2018 and 2019 SQA diets should be treated with caution.’
Why was this not mentioned?
Also completely ignored by RS, there were several areas of continuing improvement in the results. See this table from page 6:
In only the first 2 of these 10 measures of success was there a fall and of less than 1%, while in many there was a 2% improvement, in just one year.
As for the Tory suggestion that the fall, where there is one, in only one year, is a sign of wider more serious problems is frankly laughable. Why did RS not consult any credible educationist who would have told them how ridiculous such a leap of imagination was?
Click to access 2019%2Bexam%2Bresults%2Banalysis.pdf
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Well the Herald managed to get news of this onto their front page this morning with more to follow tomorrow apparently
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If the information has been out there in the public domain for months, why did it only appear now – at the end of the working week? On a Friday to be exact, when politicians who could respond are out in their constituencies (nothing special about that – this is how things normally work)?
Teachers will tell you that twenty years ago, the ‘Friday Afternoon News’ trick was often pulled by the Scottish Office, usually about so-called poor exam results or allegations of indiscipline: ‘chaos in Scottish schools’ or strike threats by teachers. This left bad news unchallenged over the weekend. By Monday, when responses could be put together, the public had forgotten the detail but were pure ragin at these bloody teachers. Another good time to plant bad news was just before the start of the summer holidays, when threats to budgets and teacher recruit were often released into the public domain. Some things don’t change.
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If the news was well-published beforehand it has to be said that Mr Swinney’s response on the McWireless sounded more like an oo-er rather than a robust rebuttal. Mibbes JR should be called to account for the defiency in presentation
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8PM—It was after Jaikies bedtime.
Teeth in the jar, and toupee on the bedpost.
Coory in next to Teddie (not Heath, you dirty minded beggar!).and a voodoo doll of Nicola, with pins!
A picture of the Blessed Margaret on the wall–next to the PP (purloined paintings).
Radio tuned to BEEB Hootsmon.
Ah, domestic bliss.—–To dream of THAT gory day–when he sold THREE Rover P6’s in one morning!
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John
Radio Shortbread @ 17.40 Jamie Greene rubbishing our Education System.
Followed by Prof. Louise Hayward and Larry Flannigan to discuss the Tory Allegations.
Starred off with Bill Whiteford asking the Prof. Is Scotland ‘s education system failing,? her reply was excellent as she was throught the interview. Larry Flannigan was fair and ballanced and defended our education system.
So Carlaw’s new Education Spokesperson was exposed as a Clown , on what appears to be Bill Whitefords last stint on the Drivetime slot.
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