I had to pinch myself when I read today from BBC Scotland:
Pass rates for Scottish pupils in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects are “very worrying”, according to a report by education experts. The Commission on School Reform analysed exam pass rates for secondary pupils taking National 5 subjects with data going back to 2015.
Only 40.1% of fourth year pupils – typically aged 14-16 years old – achieved a pass rate for National 5 mathematics in 2024, while 75.2% passed English. Just over 25% passed the most popular science subject, biology. The Scottish government said that not all pupils sit National 5 exams in S4.
The Commission on School Reform is an independent group of education experts, set up by think tank Reform Scotland.
I thought, really? So, let’s check that with the SQA.
From Evaluation of the 2023 Approach to National Qualifications Assessment Performance in National 5 Mathematics Publication date: March 2024:
Source: https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/nq23-evaluation-performance-national5-mathematics.pdf
Wait, didn’t the Commission, set up by Jack McConnell, say 40.1% but the SQA says 62.4%? What’s going on?
Jack’s team included those who did not even sit the exam as failures, to get a lower pass rate. Can you do that? No.
What sort of person would be thick enough to do that?
Jack McConnell’s Research Director, Alison Payne:
In recent years, popping up as just a ‘mum’, unattributed, on Reporting Scotland, GMS and Kay Adams to moan about SNP school policies, Payne began her career within the Scottish Conservative MSPs’ Research Unit, going on to spend four years as Head of Research. She later went on to become Political Adviser to Annabel Goldie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Conservative Group of MSPs. This role included acting as adviser to the Scottish Conservative Policy Advisory Group. She also spent 10 years as a Girl Guide leader, prior to the birth of her second child in 2010. And, how did she become a Research Director with no evidence of research training – PhD, MRes, even an honours degree with a dissertation? Girl Guide connections?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Lies , damned lies and even more Labour Think Tank Propaganda !
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Shameless!
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I thought Orwell was dead🤔
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S̶o̶m̶e̶o̶n̶e̶ something doesn’t add up.
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The former maths teacher cannot count, read a balance sheet or understand statistics.
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John,
The report was written by Carole Ford, high profile former LibDem candidate and ardent Unionist.
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It’s all smoke and mirrors, not least from the BBC Scotland webpages, the only two visible beyond the UK being ‘Scotland’ and ‘Scotland Politics’… Somewhat bemused that the ” ‘Worrying’ 40% of Scottish pupils passed maths ” article appears on the main Scotland page attributed to ‘Scotland Politics’, on which web-page it makes no appearance despite selected articles going back to November 2024…. The news where Scots are for furrnrs…
As to this contrived nonsense, I note Carole Ford being described as “Former Kilmarnock Academy headteacher and member of the commission”, yet this paragraph pretty much demonstrates why she’s no longer fit to be a teacher of anything –
” Speaking to BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Ms Ford said issues like staffing could be a contributing factor to the reason for the decline in student performance, but Scotland does not collect enough data to examine the true cause “
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Hey, not so quick to disparage Girl Guide leaders and their putative connections. Any Girl Guide leader worth her salt would not be using any connections to further any dubious political aims. Signed Girl Guide Leader, Edinburgh, 1972/23. Queen’s Guide, Perth, 1966. Sixer of the Gnomes, Cupar Brownie Pack, 1959.
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