Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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As BBC and Audit Scotland accuse SNP Government of a ‘failure to plan’ for ‘soaring’ pupil support needs why didn’t they mention that there are now THREE TIMES as many Behaviour Support staff and 24% more Pupil Support Assistants?

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former schoolteacher, Education lecturer and Associate Dean for Quality Assurance In February 2025, BBC Scotland platformed an Audit Scotland report which they characterised as a ‘Failure to plan’ over soaring pupil support needs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q1wyeevvgo Also, of course, they allowed the Conservative and Labour education spokespersons to use the report to accuse the Scottish Government of a ‘shameful failure.’ They did not offer any facts or figures such as these below, or the previous year’s version of them. From School support staff statistics, published yesterday, we can see that between 2018 and 2024, there was: A 24% … Continue reading As BBC and Audit Scotland accuse SNP Government of a ‘failure to plan’ for ‘soaring’ pupil support needs why didn’t they mention that there are now THREE TIMES as many Behaviour Support staff and 24% more Pupil Support Assistants?

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Why has there been a massive but unreported reduction in the number of children on the child protection register in Scotland and a widening gap with the other 3 nations?

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair This caught me off-guard today. I was astonished to read this and to see that it is not a major news item for ‘our’ media. From the Scottish Government, yesterday: On 31 July 2024, 2,129 children were on the child protection register, representing a 3% increase on 2023 (2,077) and a 26% decrease on 2014 (2,877). During the year, 3,167 children were registered onto the child protection register, representing a 2% decrease on 2022-23 (3,234) and a 31% decrease on 2013-14 (4,622). https://www.gov.scot/publications/childrens-social-work-statistics-child-protection-2023-24/ These are massive reductions in only 10 years … Continue reading Why has there been a massive but unreported reduction in the number of children on the child protection register in Scotland and a widening gap with the other 3 nations?

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SNP now building nearly 50 times as many affordable homes as in last days of Labour

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the last 5 years of the Labour/Lib Dem government, from 2002 to 2007, only 371 homes for affordable rent were built. In the last 5 years of the SNP Government, 2019 to 2024, 18 215 were built. That’s an astonishing contrast, 49.1 times as many, revealing clearly that the SNP, on this as on so many matters, has replaced the Labour Party as the party of the people. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-for-scotland-new-house-building/ Continue reading SNP now building nearly 50 times as many affordable homes as in last days of Labour

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Never reported by ‘Scotland’s media’ – 97% of drug abusers referred to NHS Scotland begin treatment within three weeks and every part of Scotland hits or betters the 90% target

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From Public Health Scotland today: 9,429 referrals were made to community-based specialist drug and alcohol treatment services: 4,727 (50.1%) were for problematic use of alcohol, 3,397 (36.0%) for problematic use of drugs, and 1,305 (13.8%) for co-dependency (use of both alcohol and drugs). Nationally, the Standard was met for referrals to community-based services across all substances: drugs (96.9%), co-dependency (96.3%) and alcohol (94.4%). In 2011, the Scottish Government set a Standard that 90% of people referred for help with problematic drug or alcohol use will wait no longer than three weeks for specialist treatment that supports their recovery. 58% began … Continue reading Never reported by ‘Scotland’s media’ – 97% of drug abusers referred to NHS Scotland begin treatment within three weeks and every part of Scotland hits or betters the 90% target

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Waiting list for care at home packages is more than 50% longer, per head, in England than in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 2,873 on 3 March 2025.1 All things being equal, with 10 times the population, England might be expected then to have around 28 700 assessed but still waiting. According to the latest data from GOV UK, for September 2024, it was 44 000, down from 51 000 in the previous quarter.2 So, around 52% more of those assessed and waiting for care at home package, are still waiting in England, compared to that in Scotland. Sources: … Continue reading Waiting list for care at home packages is more than 50% longer, per head, in England than in Scotland

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Cancer waiting times – NHS Scotland treats significantly more within target waiting times again

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Professor John Robertson OBA In NHS England for the quarter ending December 2025, 91.3% were first treated within 31 days from decision to treat and 69.6% were treated after an urgent referral within 62 days. The NHS England targets for these two points are 96% and 85% with the latter recently reduced from 95% in an effort to make it more achievable.1 In NHS Scotland for the quarter ending December 2025, 94.7% were first treated within 31 days from decision to treat and 73.5% were treated after an urgent referral within 62 days. The NHS Scotland targets for these two … Continue reading Cancer waiting times – NHS Scotland treats significantly more within target waiting times again

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Scotland has been putting patient safety first since 2007 and former Labour or Tory Health Secretaries could have copied us but didn’t

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Professor John Robertson OBA It’s a bit much, Jeremy Hunt now worrying about patient safety, 15 years after he could have learned how to do it, 18 years after Labour could have, from SNP-led Scotland. In the Guardian, yesterday, the above, and: I am worried about something else being missed. In the huge blizzard of organisational change, there is a risk of eyes going off the ball when it comes to broader patient safety risks. In December, the charity I set up, Patient Safety Watch, published a report put together by a team of people at Imperial College London led by Prof … Continue reading Scotland has been putting patient safety first since 2007 and former Labour or Tory Health Secretaries could have copied us but didn’t

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Vetting call over ‘asshole’ PhD examiners, ‘trial-by-fire’ vivas

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair This happens in Scotland too and it’s made worse by the common sense of inferiority toward some English academics. In the Times Education Supplement today: A new study of more than 300 PhD examiners found that most think the UK’s “closed-door” vivas should be reformed, with three quarters calling for examiners to be more carefully selected and two thirds advising more precise guidance on examiners’ behaviour. And the respondents felt pretty strongly on the matter: one said known “assholes” need to be kept “away from our students”, while another called for … Continue reading Vetting call over ‘asshole’ PhD examiners, ‘trial-by-fire’ vivas

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Disappearing the Celts

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Professor John Robertson OBA Back in 1990, I did research into history teaching across the UK and Europe. You’ll not be surprised to know that the history curriculum in Croatia then was a bit blood and soil but across eastern and central Europe it was still pretty ethnic nationalist, uncritically lauding their own heroes and damning their neighbours. Only Germany looked to be really shaking off these darker aspects as they fought to recover from the horrors of World War II. In Britain including in Scotland, the victories against Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler were still dominant topics. While there … Continue reading Disappearing the Celts

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Scotland’s schools – better staffed, better funded and improving outcomes in a society where youth violence has plummeted

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former schoolteacher, education lecturer, Associate Dean I was only a classroom teacher for three years (11 year-olds) before moving into higher education, but 18-24 year-olds can be hard work, scary at times, too. I was a bit lucky as well. I ran a winning school football team (cynically based on the Catenaccio – look it up) so if they crossed me they were oot! I’m not, under any circumstances downplaying how awful the experience can be, at some times, for some teachers but I am, really, questioning the idea that things are now worse than they … Continue reading Scotland’s schools – better staffed, better funded and improving outcomes in a society where youth violence has plummeted