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

Professor John Robertson OBA, former Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) Faculty of Education, UWS

No doubt, you’re thinking of the Michael Matheson iPad story thoroughly plastered across moronic media for months on end but there’s another SNP iPad story, getting local press coverage but, as far as I can see, not fitting the agenda at BBC Scotland or the Herald.

On 28 August 2019, SNP Councillor Chris Cunningham, Glasgow City Convener for Education launched the rollout of 70 000 iPads to all P5-P6 (8-10 years-old) pupils. The contract with CGI was described as:

A multi-million pound IT contract that will benefit almost 70,000 children and young people in Glasgow schools and nurseries has begun the roll out of pupil iPads that will empower our pupils to embrace the digital age, improve learning and teaching and help towards closing the attainment gap.¹

Six years later:

St Andrew’s secondary headteacher John McGhee described the technology as a “game changer.” Speaking at the council’s education committee he said: “I find it an absolute game changer in terms of workload.” Commenting on how it helps with marking, he said: “There is so much better ability to give feedback quickly to people” and said he loves the voice notes.

S6 pupil Fara said it is an “easy way to communicate with teachers” and there are many different ways to receive feedback. She said it saves arguments over her Mum’s laptop with her sister while doing homework or studying. ²

I can see no specific data confirming the closing of the primary school attainment gaps in St Andrew’s and its Primary feeders but there is at national level.

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.³

Also and to my mind, after nearly 40 years in education, more important than narrowing gaps is increased attainment for the most disadvantaged:

At SCQF level 7, the gap in 2009/10, two years after the SNP first came to power, was 24.1 and by 2021/22 it was still 22.2, though down from 25 in the previous year. If you have limited understating of statistics or cynically only wish to accuse the SNP Government of failure, these statistics hide the true nature of change.

In 2009/10 only 4.7% of those in the most disadvantaged 20% had achieved at this level but by 2021/22, the figure was 10.3%, more than doubling in only 12 years. Remember also, that 20% means nearly 3 000 pupils every year.⁴

Send this to someone you know who goes on about Michael Matheson all the time.

Sources:

1. https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/3122/Thousands-of-Glasgow-pupils-to-benefit-from-digital-learning-strategy-pupil-iPad-roll-out-begins
2. https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/24918977.glasgow-pupils-receiving-ipads-hailed-game-changer/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIZpQJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXYSeHSafEbxLA3Dnv5M6UNe8_sYICwZUB5_vuPy39Zka-abdxohM-u5MQ_aem_YPnyvIZO7T7fS91D9KWdgg
3. https://www.gov.scot/news/literacy-and-numeracy-standards-reach-record-high/?s=03
4. https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-attainment-initial-leaver-destinations-no-5-2023-edition/documents/

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