‘Tawdry’ Labour spin doctor pretends to know something about education to undermine Nicola Sturgeon, SNP and Scottish schools

Image PA
The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland - a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson

By Professor John Robertson OBA former school teacher, education lecturer, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) Faculty of Education, Research Ethics Chair and Research Methods Tutor to BA Journalism (!) UWS

Peter MacMahon is in the Herald with:

Has anything changed since Sturgeon’s education pledge? Not long after she became First Minister I interviewed Nicola Sturgeon on the subject of education. I asked her about the attainment gap, the startling difference in performance between young people from poor and better off backgrounds. She told me that she would eradicate what we now call the poverty-related attainment gap. Not narrow it, but close it.

I’ll spare you the ill-informed, under-educated, mince which follows.

Anyhow, has anything changed? Just this:

In 2024, there were 621 fewer teachers in Scottish state schools BUT, more important than a one-year fluctuation, there were also still 1 453 more than there had been in 2018 AND there were 3 100 fewer pupils for them to teach in 2024. In 2024, there were also 260 more special needs teachers.

Off course, as any fule no, what matters is not the crude numbers but the pupil teacher ratio – one special needs teacher for every 3.7 pupils, the same as in the previous year, one teacher for every 13.3 pupils, better than the 13.6 in 2018 and far better than the 18 in English schools.1

Finally, on attainment:

From Literacy and numeracy standards reach record high, published yesterday:

The proportion of pupils achieving the expected level in literacy and numeracy across primary and secondary schools has reached a new high, officials figures show.

For numeracy, a record 80.3% of pupils across P1, P4 and P7 reached expected levels, while S3 also reached a new high of 90.3%. For literacy, achievement is also now at a record high in both primary (74%) and secondary (88.3%).

The attainment gap between young people from the most and least deprived areas meeting standards in literacy has also reached a new low, according to the latest Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels 2023-24 (ACEL) statistics.2

In England, on 9 July 2024, for 11 year-olds [P7]:

[Only] 61% of pupils reached the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths, up from 60% in 2023. This is below 2019 attainment, where 65% of pupils met the standard.3

Direct comparison with education in other countries is not always reliable but had this stark contrast [32% better] operated in the opposite direction, with England at 80% and Scotland at 61%, you can be sure our media would be all over it.

Sources:

  1. https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2024/pages/headline-statistics/
  2. https://www.gov.scot/news/literacy-and-numeracy-standards-reach-record-high/?s=03
  3. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment-national-headlines#:~:text=In%202024%2C%2061%25%20of%20pupils,of%20pupils%20met%20the%20standard

Disgraced Labour spin doctor?

Henry McLeish’s former aide has sparked a political row by writing an insider’s account of the controversy which forced his boss to resign as Scotland’s first minister. Critics described spin-doctor Peter MacMahon’s decision to speak out in a national newspaper as “tawdry”.

But Scottish National Party leader John Swinney said the episode again exposed Labour’s shabby internal politics. Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie described the article as a “tawdry betrayal”.

And the Scottish Executive has warned that it will scrutinise the story to see whether Mr MacMahon has broken the civil service code of confidentiality. Officials said that as a former special adviser, Mr MacMahon was bound by civil service rules.

These state that permission must be sought if a person intends to publish memoirs containing confidential information relating to activities within government. An executive spokesman said: “Peter MacMahon as a former special advisor is bound by this, but he has not sought permission.”

Possible legal remedies could include seeking an interdict to prevent further publication, or raising an action for damages. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1780913.stm

Finally, do you remember First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation speech? I do and I well remember, there, MacMahon and BBC Scotland’s Glenn Campbell sniggering together like wee schoolboys.

Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/

The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116

About Oliver Brown, the first Scottish National Party candidate to save his deposit in a Parliamentary election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Brown_(Scottish_activis

12 thoughts on “‘Tawdry’ Labour spin doctor pretends to know something about education to undermine Nicola Sturgeon, SNP and Scottish schools”

  1. ”Tawdry” would be an apt description of the ”stories” that issue from the likes of McMahon and The Herald . The Beano has more journalistic integrity than most MSM newspapers .

    Anyone who reads the unionist press will recognise the endemic malice that is a prerequisite of anyone who reports on the SNP/Scottish Government .

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  2. Aye, McMahon’s memory is as ever selective – He can remember a former FM’s stated ambitions on appointment in 2014, but not the blatant lies and increasing poverty which have rumbled on since 2016, nor less that a year ago when Starmer was promising ‘change’ which vanished in the breeze and “Read my lips” from Sarwar was buried as a scandal by every journalist like Peter…… https://archive.ph/XBv4j

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. By focussing on the attainment GAP, improvements in the percentage of students from the lowest socioeconomic decile can be masked by increases in the percentage of attainment in the highest socioeconomic group.

    For example if the starting year attainment levels in the lowest/highest socioeconomic groups were 15% and 25% and, if, after five years, the attainment rates were 25% and 35% the GAP is unchanged, but the increase in attainment of the lowest group is not being recognised explicitly. It is an example of selective use of data.

    It reminds me of a story of a journalist ‘slamming’ a Head Teacher because half of the children were attaining below average. ‘Why are they not all above average?’ the hack roared.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Focus on the ‘attainment gap’ without nuance, without regard to the legitimate aspiration of all parts of education cohorts over time to improve is simplistic. Are we to deliberately hold young people in the higher economic groups back in order to accelerate gap closure? Yes close the gap but whilst ensuring as many as possible flourish!

    Notwithstanding this: from late 2024: ‘COSLA COMMENT ON ACHIEVEMENT OF CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE LEVELS STATISTICS

    ‘Commenting on the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels Statistics released this morning (Tuesday) COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “COSLA welcomes the publication of Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels for 2024 which shows improvement in attainment overall and narrowing of the poverty related attainment gap.

    (If the ‘overall’ achievement had been absent, the poverty-related attainment gap would have narrowed more – perhaps to the chagrin of those deprived of a negative soundbite or headline? Or probably found some other line of political attack on Scotland’s education system.)

    The COSLA statement goes on: “These outcomes are a result of the hard work of children, young people, their families and the professionals within and out with schools who support them.

    “This is encouraging, however we recognise that there is still progress to be made. Local Government will continue to work collaboratively with our all our partners to ensure all children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes.”

    Source: https://www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2024/cosla-comment-on-achievement-of-curriculum-for-excellence-levels-statistics

    With the relentless negativity in some media quarters and from a certain academic about Scotland’s education system, does the prime teachers’ union, the EIS EVER celebrate the achievements of our education system and all that contribute to it without CARPING somewhere along the way?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Including the 25% of mature students. There is no attainment gap. Left out of the figures. Scotland has the highest education level in the world per population. 15 Universities, colleges, apprenticeship. Life long learning educational support. One of the highest investments in Scotland. Paying dividends. 3.8% unemployment.

    The next is Canada 56%. US 40% higher degrees. China’s highest investment is in Education.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Sue Mahon in the Court’s or get a pubic retraction. Blatant criminal behaviour to line their pockets. Lying Labour. The lies never stop no matter what? Criminal mass murderers liars and cheats. Most of them should be in jail.

    Losing even more support. A crash dive.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to ArtyHetty Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.