Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald yesterday: There are less teachers in Scottish schools but what really matters, and the Herald writer knows is is the pupil teacher ratio. There were 57 500 state school teachers in Scotland in 2007. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11314736 There were 53 412 state school teachers in Scotland in 2024. https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2024/ How has the ratio of pupils to teachers changed? Barely. In 2008 it was 12.9, in 2017 it was 13.6, and in 2024 it was 13.3. https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2024/pages/school-teachers/#:~:text=Figure%204%20shows%20pupil%20teacher%20ratios%20%28PTRs%29%20which,2023.%20The%20lowest%20PTR%20was%2012.9%20in%202008. https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/ And the ratios elsewhere in UK? Pupil to teacher ratios were lowest in Scotland (13.2), and similar in Northern … Continue reading Scottish Labour council tries to increase pupil teacher ratio in schools to level in England and Wales

Professor John Robertson OBA From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios, published today, the above funnel plot graph and: For the period January 2024 to December 2024: No hospitals had a significantly higher or lower standardised mortality ratio (SMR) than the national average. Two hospitals had an SMR below the lower warning limit: Raigmore (0.84) and Western General (0.82). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/hospital-standardised-mortality-ratios/hospital-standardised-mortality-ratios-january-2024-to-december-2024 In plain language, this means that all of Scotland’s had, as in previous years, roughly the same mortality ratio, the actual number of deaths divided by the number predicted by NHS statisticians, based on the varying populations they serve, in terms of … Continue reading There is no postcode lottery in NHS Scotland’s hospital death rates in sharp contrast with NHS England where you might worry where you go

Professor John Robertson OBA, Pacific Ferry Correspondent From Pulse Tasmania today: A Tasmanian caravan park owner says the value of his business has halved due to the state’s ongoing ferry crisis, forcing him to shelve retirement plans and temporarily shut down. Gavin Imlach, who runs the Latrobe Mersey River Caravan Park, spent $150,000 upgrading his site in anticipation of a promised 40% tourism boost from the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries, which are now several years behind schedule. “Since the s–t show with the ships, my business is worth half of what it was prior to the fiasco,” Imlach told … Continue reading Tasmanian caravan park forced to shut down as ferry ‘s__t show’ delays sink business

Professor John Robertson OBA From Additional support needs (ASN) secondary school staffing and pupils: FOI release, published today, the following data showing significant increases and, we must assume disappointing the opposition party or media hacks requesting it: Media coverage, I suspect, will be telling a different story based on unverified figures from activist and charity groups. Continue reading 23% increase in Pupil Support staff and near tripling of Behaviour Support staff under SNP

Professor John Robertson OBA, Island Cycling Correspondent of the Year CalMac‘s Largs to Cumbrae (pop 1 500) and back service, 52 crossings, peak, and 33 off peak, each way with 15 min turnaround: https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/route-information/largs-cumbrae-slip-millport/#/ The proposal based on safety grounds, is to make the turnaround 20 mins thus reducing the number of crossings by 25% to 39 and 25 crossings per day with the bigger MV loch Shira – 36 cars and 250 passengers. In 2024, the crossing served 700 00 passengers, 195 000 cars, 795 buses and 5 600 commercial vehicles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caledonian_MacBrayne#:~:text=Caledonian%20MacBrayne%20%28Scottish%20Gaelic%3A%20Caledonian%20Mac%20a%27%20Bhriuthainn%29%2C,the%20mainland%20and%2022%20of%20the%20major%20islands. So averaging the peak and off-peak service … Continue reading Largs to Cumbrae ferry – Why should the Scottish taxpayer pay millions for tourist car drivers on a handful of sunny days to not have to queue for a ferry service using only between a fifth and a tenth of its capacity over the year?

Police Scotland and the media are reporting a major ‘Scots’ County Lines drug gang in these terms: SMASH & GRABBED – Eleven kids rescued from clutches of sinister Scots drug mob as 100 hoods arrested. Officers ensured the safety of the youngsters by passing them into the care of relatives or referring them to support agencies – https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/14758409/kids-rescued-from-scots-drug-mob-hoods-arrested/ The reports make no mention of the County Lines gangs, from English cities, currently known to to be feeding the trade and using extreme violence in Scottish towns from Dumfries to Thurso. The small towns, Lesmahagow and Abingdon, catch the eye for the biggest seizures. … Continue reading If this is a truly Scottish County Lines drug gang, the first, why is their supply clearly coming up the M74 from England?