The above headline appears in the Herald today based on a self-selecting survey with around 3 000 ‘parents and carers’ taking part. There are 1,452,240 pupils enrolled in Scotland’s schools so there are around 3 million biological parents in Scotland. There are are, of course, unknown numbers of grandparents and carers actively engaged in the schooling of their grandchildren. So, roughly speaking, 1 in a thousand or more, at best 0.1%, of all parents or carers in Scotland, took part in this unscientific, self-selecting, thus statistically insignificant and unreliable, survey? At the very least, given the constitutional issues dominating Scottish … Continue reading 99.9% of Scots parents don’t complain about blended learning

Update to put things into perspective: Dr Daniel Martin OBE, head of intensive care for serious infectious diseases at the Royal Free hospital, emailed a report to colleagues at the peak of the pandemic with a note claiming that the trust would “track any leaks to the media” and then “offer you the chance to post your P45 on Facebook for all to see.” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/22/doctors-warn-culture-of-fear-in-nhs-could-prevent-whistleblowing As the slavering pack of opposition MSPs turns from the PPE, testing and care home deaths, carcasses to devour the Independent Review into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, it’s clear they are not … Continue reading QEUH: Freeman must be defended against victimisation by opposition pack

In Insider today: Foreign direct investment in Scotland’s financial services sector increased last year as it shrank for the UK and Europe overall. Scotland was the UK’s second most attractive location for financial services FDI in 2019 for the seventh year in a row, increasing its share from 6.3% in 2018 to 8.1%. The latest EY UK Attractiveness Report for Financial Services 2020 reports that while London secured more financial services FDI projects, the eight launched in Scotland last year, created 2,911 jobs – more than three times that of London and more than half the UK total. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/scotland-bucks-trend-shrinking-fdi-22220782 Continue reading Scotland outperforms all of Europe on inward investment

By stewartb In BBC Scotland’s campaigning material on the re-opening of Scotland’s schools in August which it issued (21 June) via the ‘Scotland’ page of the BBC News website, we find it again seeking to squeeze a big deal out of terminology as BBC Scotland’s Glenn Campbell attempted on 20 June. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53100297 The 21 June article – at the very end – refers to the FM and her recent statements (with my emphasis): ‘On Wednesday the first minister appeared to adjust her stance on the blended learning model – now labelling the idea a “contingency”. Nicola Sturgeon said her … Continue reading Contingency planning for the default position – what’s the big deal?

In an astonishing, even for them, foray into political campaigning, an unattributed BBC Scotland report today, joins Jackson Carlaw and Jack McConnell in a drive to undermine the elected government’s strategy, developed with the teaching unions and local government and approved of by the wider public in repeated polls. Using evidence from 5, only, parents selected to agree with the frankly sociopathic sentiments in their headline, BBC Scotland goes well beyond it’s remit to educate, entertain and inform to direct and irresponsible intervention in political processes. Here is their methodology section: ‘These parents have told the BBC’  Given the failure … Continue reading BBC Scotland joins Tory campaign to force school return and risk lives based on selected sociopathic old pals

In the last few days, we see two full polls (1 000+) with support for independence clear by 3% and 8% and a very encouraging 54% support in today’s Panelbase poll for Business for Scotland. This is the biggest lead since the August 2015 poll by Ipsos MORI of 9%. The 2020 polls, taken together, suggest the strongest and most stable support ever. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_on_Scottish_independence#Post-referendum_polling Continue reading Support for independence goes 8% clear!

By stewartb: Re-balancing the ‘back to school’ discourse in Scotland – Part 2 The purpose here is to present findings from recent online surveys conducted by the Educational Institute for Scotland (EIS) and by Connect (the trading name of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council).  What follows is a selective account of their research findings. Unashamedly, the focus is on the ‘positive’. If not here, if not now — then where and when! Views of teaching staff Five findings are selected for amplification — on what has happened and on looking forward — from an EIS membership survey conducted online between … Continue reading SHOCK: Big majority of Scottish teachers positive and optimistic about Scottish Government plans for return to schooling including ‘blended learning’

Anytime I see him pop up, like a wee dinosaur scurrying around under the lumbering frame of Tyrannosaurus Broon, I’m reminded of a study I did in 2004 of adolescents’ political knowledge. Titled ‘Naming the First Minister‘ (ref below), it revealed that only 41% could name him and, memorably, that one wrote ‘Jack McGoogle!’ Anyhow, McConnell has been appearing everywhere in the last few days. Still a relatively young man, is he angling for a return to Holyrood? The opposition is not formidable. As a councillor he kept his teacher’s salary so combining the ‘duties’ of lord and MSP should … Continue reading Labour Lord joins Tory call to risk lives with a rush back to school

There have now been 8 full (1 000+) polls since the beginning of 2020. The YouGov/Hanbury poll in February used a non-standard question and did not include 16/17 year-old’s, so can be ignored. The YouGov poll on January 22nd also did not include 16/17 year-old’s. Two of the 7 valid polls have given Yes a clear 3% lead including the most recent for Panelbase/Scot Goes Pop. No poll since early December 2019, six months ago, has suggested a clear lead for No. The last 4 polls including 16/17 year-old’s and with the standard question gives an average lead for Yes … Continue reading Support for Independence solidifying

By stewartb: There has been a lot of ‘negativity’ in the corporate media in Scotland and from opposition politicians in Holyrood concerning schooling during the coronavirus epidemic and the re-opening of schools in August. This is an attempt to redress the balance – to talk-up (and why not?) the resilience and the commitment of Scotland’s school staff and of parents and carers during these difficult times. Fortunately, the re-balancing doesn’t need to rely on the personal opinion of this blogger nor on Scottish Government pronouncements. It can be based directly on public statements made by leaders of the Educational Institute … Continue reading Re-balancing the ‘back to school’ discourse in Scotland – Part 1