An independent study by Professor Keith Topping, Professor of Educational and Social Research,University of Dundee reveals positive results for Scottish pupils compared to those of the same age in the other parts of the UK: Book difficulty was highest in Scotland, followed by England, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and NorthernIreland. Northern Ireland is characterised by low levels of difficulty at the beginning but the children more than catch up later. Scottish children were reading almost two years ahead of their chronological age, English children a year and a half ahead, and even Northern Ireland were reading more than half … Continue reading Researcher find Scots pupils reading more difficult books than others in rUK

I’m grateful to reader and contributor, stewartb, for drawing my attention to this. From Sally Magnusson last night Scotland’s players will now ‘take the knee’ ahead of their second Euros match against England at Wembley next Friday. They had planned to ‘take a stand’, as they put it, against racism in all three of their appearances in the group stages. Then after her suggestion that this is ‘a mess‘, we hear from Alistair Lamont: The Scotland squads focus is firmly on preparing for Monday’s Euro 2020 opening match against the Czech Republic but the decision to ‘stand against racism’ rather … Continue reading Even Scotland’s football team’s stance on racism will be misused by Reporting Scotland

When President Biden arrived in Ireland on his way to the G7 Summit, he quoted the poem ‘Easter 1916’, by W B Yeats, remembering the brutality of the UK in Ireland, in an emotional address. By the time he got to England things had become colder, much colder. This from Alain Tolhurst in politics Home sums it up well: If hopes were not already dashed that Biden would side with London, then an eye-catching story in The Times on Thursday morning, just hours before he was due to meet Johnson in Carbis Bay, finished the job. It revealed America had … Continue reading ‘Easter 1916’ – ‘All changed, changed utterly; A terrible beauty is born’: The words leading to a rebuke the BBC dare not utter

At the EIS AGM last week, the motion on ‘the right of Scotland to determine the form of government that best suit its needs‘ was carried by a whopping 141 to 41 with 16 abstentions. So around 75% of EIS reps, by implication agree that a second independence referendum should be held. This a big slap for Labour’s Anas Sarwar with his opposition to self-determination for Scots and further evidence that the EIS leadership, tied by loyalty to Labour, needs to go. Readers may remember that in November 2020, I wrote of: teachers being led sheepishly into confrontations with an … Continue reading Poll suggests Scotland’s biggest teacher union climbing out of Labour’s pocket?

So, to add to the delights of Tom Gordon, the Herald has topped up its columnists with Baron Dunlop, architect of the poll tax and Adam Tomkins former republican leftie, now Tory. Not satisfied, they interview the dread Neil Oliver. I know they need the readers but that headline is trashy tabloid at best. Not his first of course: Oliver, who once described the possibility of another referendum as a ‘cancerous presence‘ is such an obvious propagandist for the right, no self-respecting newspaper should be interviewing him. His track record is foul. In February: “They left their windswept crofts behind … Continue reading Herald confirms its move to the right with Neil Oliver interview

John Nicolson, SNP MP and former BBC Scotland staffer has tweeted that BBC Scotland staff have contacted him about ‘worrying sounding proposals for Pacific Quay‘. He has written the above to the head of BBC Scotland. Perhaps he remembers ‘good people‘ there and doubts that there is systemic anti-independence bias operating. My view is different, based on the evidence. Replacing the existing propagandists and the thoroughly conditioned loyal youngsters with unaligned professionals from England can only be an improvement. Any campaign to protect Scottish jobs would be the kind of irrational, narrow nationalism we must not encourage. Let those surplus … Continue reading Hell mend them?

The BBC Scotland Business website, with some readers I feel sure, did headline the dramatic letter from Scotland’s food and drink sector, criticising the UK/Australia trade deal but Reporting Scotland last night, on the very day the letter is published, as often before, ignores a story that does not fit their hardcore loyalism and the nurturing of their uniquely elderly and conservative audience, essential to the No vote. It’s hard to see the inconsistency between the website and broadcasts as anything other than political. Imagine the same group had criticised the Scottish Government and the opposition parties were then able … Continue reading Reporting Scotland ploughing its own narrow nationalist furrow

Twenty paragraphs on Russia and this frankly ludicrous, fawning, attempt to paint Johnson as his hero, Churchill: President Biden arrived in the UK on Wednesday. He will meet PM Boris Johnson to agree a new “Atlantic Charter”. The pact will be a modern version of the one agreed between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, with a focus on challenges including climate change and security. before this carefully worded avoidance of the truth of Johnson’s responsibilities for the crisis in Northern Ireland: Mr Biden is expected to warn that the UK-EU trade row could endanger peace in Northern Ireland. He will … Continue reading BBC tries to hide Biden’s warning for Johnson over Northern Ireland

A ‘Unionist fightback?’ What, have we finished correcting all the mythological accounts of how good a thing the British Empire was? Do they want a fightback against accuracy? Do they want the weans and bairns to hear more on the positives in mass slavery, genocidal military campaigns, organised famines in India and Ireland, the theft of resources, my ancestors role in terrorising the good folk of Ireland, India, Aden and god knows how many other parts, and the many many other horrors typical of empires? I left school in 1969 with a Higher History, knowing all about Wellington’s campaigns and … Continue reading Fightback in Scottish history teaching!