So, current Edinburgh Conservative & Unionist Councillor and former party adviser, John McLellan, gets a free platform in the Evening News, to attack the SNP via the SQA. In a year in which pass rates went up and in the context of 138 000 submissions, we know as does he, that we don’t know what his headline claims. We’ll see once the appeals go in and can compare the number with last year’s well over 10 000. We’ve seen a tiny handful of disappointed students who, perhaps on the advice of their parents, or perhaps encouraged by an opposition politician, … Continue reading Transparent Failures 1: The Edinburgh Tory Councillor pretends to be a journalist again

Edinburgh police are travelling to Aberdeen to help in policing the re-imposed lock-down A spokesperson said As a national service, Police Scotland is able to quickly flex capacity to support local communities across the country, and we will provide whatever additional resources are necessary to protect and support affected communities. Other than in their errors in George Square recently, we have had reason to applaud Police Scotland here, to try to balance the lack of support they get from other Scottish media: Continue reading Covid-19 spike illustrates strength of a Scottish national police [SNP] force

Kind of puts paid to the lie that the most disadvantaged school leavers are missing out on University because of the SQA and SNP incompetence [Tusker reader] Despite the media pile-on based on a misunderstanding of where the blame lies for unequal attainment in Scotland’s exam system – the wider social, cultural and economic inequalities built into Great Britain and tolerated over decades by the Labour party – evidence of reducing disadvantage for pupils from deprived areas emerged at the same time but was ignored by that same media. From UCAS on 4th August: The number of 18 year-olds from … Continue reading Most disadvantaged school leavers not missing out on University because of SQA/SNP ‘incompetence’

On Channel 4 News tonight Professor Costello said: We’re not a million miles away [from a zero covid situation] and if we tightened up our find, trace isolate and support, when we get down to Scottish levels, then we’ll be able to negotiate much more diplomatically and aggressively with our European partners. Though Scotland is experiencing a spike in infection levels with 66 new cases today, the 7 day average is 35.7. The UK had 950 new cases today and a 7 day average of 833.33, twice that pro rata of Scotland even with the spike. Continue reading Leading academic on Channel 4 suggests England needs to follow Scottish model

From BBC Scotland today: A Trossachs care home has had its registration cancelled after warnings about infection control and cleanliness went unheeded. The Care Inspectorate said Ashwood House in Callander, which looks after 21 residents, had made “minimum progress” since an earlier inspection. Inspectors, who visited the home on 30 July, said they found dirty equipment and toilets that had not been cleaned after use. The visit followed another two weeks previously in which concerns had been raised. The watchdog said: “The lack of cleanliness in the home shows a lack of respect for the people living there and has … Continue reading Scottish care home owned by Tory politician shut down for dirty equipment and toilets

Is it an IQ thing? I’ve read somewhere that left-wingers tend to be smarter than right-wingers. I certainly am and modest too. As Aberdeen’s outbreak grows, local councillors fearing they might get the blame, are getting their oars in first. Licensing convener, ‘Independent’ councillor Marie Boulton, was quickly onto the P&J site: Councillor Marie Boulton insisted she was not “playing the blame game” while suggesting frailties in Scottish Government guidelines were at fault for the spike in coronavirus cases. Not playing the game? The blame game? Of course not. Who could think such a thing? Boulton doesn’t explain, of course, … Continue reading Do Tory and Labour councils find it harder to read Scottish Government guidance on pubs?

Aberdeen Labour Group leader, Jenny Laing getting close-up and mask-less with the Michael Gove, last week. How many did he bring? From where? Did they meet inside? Did they kiss? Too much. From a source in Aberdeen: There is a faction of Unionists in Aberdeen who are fanatically anti-SNP anti-Nicola Sturgeon.  They have been deliberately ignoring all the rules to “show support for Boris” and encouraging others to do the same.  I understand this includes giving false details, and not giving details at all. Here’s Laing today getting in her first attempt to pin the blame onto the Scottish Government. Continue reading Outbreak on Union Street? Did Aberdeen’s Unionists cause this spike?

This was the BBC report dated  3rd August: Coronavirus: New 90-minute tests for Covid-19 and flu ‘hugely beneficial’ New 90-minute tests that can detect coronavirus and flu will be rolled out in hospitals and care homes from next week. The “on-the-spot” swab and DNA tests will help distinguish between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses, the government said. The health secretary said this would be “hugely beneficial” over the winter. Currently, a third of tests take longer than 24 hours to process. The reaction of  WHO 3rd  August briefing: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 Question is specifically about the UK fast test from about 41 … Continue reading Fools rush in….New 90-minute test for Covid-19 not convincing WHO

In England, according to the Telegraph today the situation is clearly going to be far worse than in Scotland: Further, they report: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/30/students-can-appeal-gcse-a-levels-believe-victims-discrimination/ In Scotland as early as April, staff and pupils knew: After 4 August, a free appeals service will be available to schools and colleges, to allow them to request a review of the grade awarded for a learner or a group of learners. It is important that such a service is in place in this exceptional year. https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93920.html Continue reading As with covid-19 outbreak Scottish Government to do much better on school exams justice

Professor Willie Wardle is in the letters page of the Herald today not really explaining why he thinks the SQA ‘bungled’ things, far less how the moderation and [improved] averages ‘swamp individuals‘ and definitely not explaining why the SG should be holding the SQA’s hands, making daily decisions for it, any more than when critics like Pennington say it should do the same for health boards. To be fair, he doesn’t seem to have actually suggested a kicking for anyone. Headline editor, Conor (16) will have seen that in some other headlines, about Nicola. Anyhow, who is Wardle and who … Continue reading Herald finds another Poison Pennington to suggest Scottish Government needs a ‘kicking’