Scotland’s schools narrow attainment gaps across the board and ‘most deprived’ 14/15 year-olds make major strides in literacy
From Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels, 2024-25 published on 9 December 2025: The statistics also provide information on the gap in attainment between pupils from the most and least deprived areas of Scotland: For literacy, there was an increase in the proportions of primary pupils (P1, P4, P7 combined) that achieved the expected level, from both the least deprived and most deprived areas with a larger increase in the most deprived areas. As a result, the gap reached its narrowest ever level of 19.4 percentage points. For primary numeracy, the gap narrowed to 16.6 percentage points, which was … Continue reading Scotland’s schools narrow attainment gaps across the board and ‘most deprived’ 14/15 year-olds make major strides in literacy
Good news about Scotland’s babies ‘our’ media missed
Thanks to Bernadette for alerting me to this: From SMA UK 5 September 2025: We are absolutely delighted to hear the news that NHS Scotland will be adding SMA to their newborn screening programme in an evaluative and research capacity with the aim of the first baby being tested in early 2026. External funding will be used to help purchase specialist testing equipment for the Scottish Newborn Screening Laboratory in Glasgow, and with only one testing site in the country, this means that every baby born will be screened for SMA, approximately 45,000 each year (45,763 live births in 2024). With … Continue reading Good news about Scotland’s babies ‘our’ media missed
Ayrshire Labour MP backs new nuclear power stations that have made Scotland the ‘Cancer Capital of Europe’
In August 2024, I wrote to my new MP, Elaine Stewart (Labour) in Ayr on energy security and bills in Scotland. Today, 20 months later, I get a reply in which she writes: What the SNP could do to help deliver energy security is drop its ideological block on nuclear which rejects the creation of well-paid jobs, apprenticeships, and reliable low-carbon energy. The Nuclear Industry Association reported more than 10,000 new nuclear jobs being created in the last year alone – the SNPs stance is clearly untenable and is holding Scotland back when it comes to clean power. In this, she aligns herself with the UK Labour … Continue reading Ayrshire Labour MP backs new nuclear power stations that have made Scotland the ‘Cancer Capital of Europe’
Neither Nicola Sturgeon nor any member of the Scottish Government has ever denied any link between hospital water systems and infections that may have contributed to deaths but neither have they ever groomed the parents of a dead child
In the Herald, today in a clear and sickeningly cynical election run-up: Anas Sarwar has called for a criminal investigation into Nicola Sturgeon and managers at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde after the board’s eleventh-hour admission that contaminated water at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital probably caused serious infections among vulnerable patients, including children with cancer. The health board’s U-turn, revealed in closing submissions to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, comes after years of denying any link between the hospital’s water system and a cluster of infections that contributed to multiple deaths and left dozens of patients seriously ill. Sarwar has been ‘working with‘ the parents for near on 10 years and … Continue reading Neither Nicola Sturgeon nor any member of the Scottish Government has ever denied any link between hospital water systems and infections that may have contributed to deaths but neither have they ever groomed the parents of a dead child
Literacy and Numeracy at record highs in Scotland’s schools
Support Talking-up Scotland -In this election year in Scotland, the 90% pro-Union media and their sponsors in the opposition parties will do everything they can to undermine the pro-independence parties. Thought vastly outnumbered, we will do our very best to counter their lies and get you, every day, the true stories and the sources of evidence to prove them. Help us if you can at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-get-the-facts-for-you From the National Standardised Assessments for Scotland National Report for Academic Year 2024-2025, published today, we can see the one year results but no trends. This is a classic example of a task where … Continue reading Literacy and Numeracy at record highs in Scotland’s schools
Babies in Scotland get more than twice as many home health visits and have twice the carer continuity that mums and dads want, than those in England
In the Guardian today: There’s no mention of Scotland in the above nor is there in the full NCT report. The latter has a ‘methodology’ section but that does not feature the word ‘sample.’ Remarkably, the above report seems unaware of State of Health Visiting, UK Survey Report – From disparity to opportunity: The case for rebuilding health visiting” (11th annual edition, based on 2024 data and published January 2025.1 What’s in there we wonder? What percentage of of health visitors are able to provide continuity of carer to families ‘all or most of the time?’ This: There’s more: “I … Continue reading Babies in Scotland get more than twice as many home health visits and have twice the carer continuity that mums and dads want, than those in England
Complaint to BBC on misrepresentation of Glasgow hospital infections inquiry
I used to write complaints to the BBC all the time but can’t remember the last one. The responses, surreal at times, would ruin your day. Anyhow, here we go again. Do join me? Continue reading Complaint to BBC on misrepresentation of Glasgow hospital infections inquiry
BBC Scotland repeating the lie that hospital infections ‘led to deaths in patients’ in reporting that exploits tragedy for political purposes
For the second day running, BBC Scotland seeks to misrepresent the findings of an official inquiry into a hospital-acquired infections inquiry. They tell us: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) had consistently denied bacteria in the water was responsible for causing some infections which led to the deaths of patients. But in closing submissions to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, external it has now admitted “on the balance of probabilities”, that there was a “causal connection” between some infections and the hospital environment. That’s correct, true, but you need to have your wits about you for for their next sneaky move. The above is … Continue reading BBC Scotland repeating the lie that hospital infections ‘led to deaths in patients’ in reporting that exploits tragedy for political purposes
How a London-based think-tank is more trustworthy than a Glasgow one with a bias against the SNP
By stewartb It’s been interesting to compare and contrast how two economic think tanks chose to comment upon the Scottish Government’s recent budget statement and Spending Review. Let’s take the Glasgow-based Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) on the Budget first: FAI (January 13) ‘A Budget where the silences were loudest.’ The up front framing made a good start! And on what the Cabinet Secretary did say, it’s tough to find anything remotely positive in the commentary. The FAI offers this further characterisation of the Budget: ‘Another case of delaying adjustment into the future’. Such a remark emphasises where the FAI ‘s own … Continue reading How a London-based think-tank is more trustworthy than a Glasgow one with a bias against the SNP
Scottish think-tank – ‘Value judgements’ over analysis-based conclusions.
By stewartb: As a regular reader of the output of the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI), I’m becoming increasingly disappointed in how it’s opting to express and emphasise what are ‘value judgements’ over analysis-based conclusions. Does it intend to become a quasi-political organisation? On January 15 this headline appeared above an FAI article: ‘Budget – day 3 reaction – Council tax & the Spending Review. Incoherent reforms to council tax: could have been worse, but not good enough.’ Within the piece we read (with my emphasis): ‘Scotland will follow the UK Government’s example and introduce higher taxes on higher value properties. Whereas … Continue reading Scottish think-tank – ‘Value judgements’ over analysis-based conclusions.
Talking-up Scotland 