An independent study by Professor Keith Topping, Professor of Educational and Social Research,
University of Dundee reveals positive results for Scottish pupils compared to those of the same age in the other parts of the UK:
Book difficulty was highest in Scotland, followed by England, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and Northern
Ireland. Northern Ireland is characterised by low levels of difficulty at the beginning but the children more than catch up later. Scottish children were reading almost two years ahead of their chronological age, English children a year and a half ahead, and even Northern Ireland were reading more than half a year ahead of their chronological age. [page 44]
Research by this group seems to be of no interest to Scotland’s MSM this year but had been last year when the news was less good:
Herald 27th February 2020
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
That’s a healthy sign, as a capacity to manage cognitive complexity correlates strongly with a strong personal theory of mind. Which give me hope for the future, as this suggests the kids have the skills needed to protect themselves from English Torydum.
The Relation Between Language and Theory of Mind
in Development and Evolution
http://cogprints.org/3317/1/Evol_of_language_&_ToM(dot)pdf
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OK, they’ll not have developed those vital skills yet, but it sounds like they have the foundations of good social competence. I vote we don’t screw things up for them by teaching them to reject the laws of nature. As ideology grounded in material fantasies might be alright in the pub, but it simply isn’t compatible with government consistent with the principles of social democracy. So it’s not compatible with an ethical approach to education.
https://ostium.sk/language/sk/the-narrative-mind-embodied-narratives-in-the-light-of-conceptualization-hypotheses/
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Not a huge difference, but your ultimate point is on the button – When it comes to Scotland and it’s Media, if it’s a negative it gets reported, if not, it doesn’t. Yet it’s not just in Scotland but of Scotland where the negative is become almost an obligation…
Marr picking out a narrow window of Covid figures to misrepresent SG’s pandemic response was recent example of the extent to which the BBC seem obliged to unearth the negative from a huge body of information.
I’m old enough to recall David Coleman’s infamous “A great win for GB/a sad loss for Scotland” bias on full show, but is it that latent bias in England which was being fed by Marr ?
It didn’t impress any Scots, but I guess after years of exposure to political bias in the news, it stuck out like a sore thumb as yet more politically motivated distortion.
Kid’s getting smarter is not an unexpected outcome from an education system in good health, but publicising this particular story would disturb the Bowie, Jack, DRoss et al refrain of the “failing education system in Scotland”.
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Agreed.
I hope NS uses this info if the “failing education system’s” brought up in FMQs.
And why wouldn’t it be?
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It is not just an anti Scottish trope which is deployed by journalists. They have plenty of baleful prejudices, with antipathy towards young people being a regular since the days of Peter the Hermit around the 12/13 century. Public education, because it is liberating and enabling is something they have to attack.
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“They have plenty of baleful prejudices, with antipathy towards young people being a regular since the days of Peter the Hermit around the 12/13 century. ”
ISTR Aristotle had a good old moan too!
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I don’t like being a space hog, but the ball has kind of dropped perfectly for me. As post-colonial theory and practice depends on the successful de-colonisation of the education system. Most specifically from from the harmful effects of structural sexism and racism. So forcing our children to reject the laws of nature in favour of material fantasies, is simply dangerous child abuse.
http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Tuning-In-to-Others-How-Young-Children-Develop.aspx
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While I’m in-front of goal though. 🙂
Reliability and validity of advanced theory-of-mind measures in middle childhood and adolescence
https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjdp.12186
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