Tag: parenting

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Scottish Government’s Funded Early Learning and Childcare project – 97% engagement, 72% increase in reported good health and greater benefits for those in deprived areas

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare: Phase 6 report, published today is a very sober, careful, modest piece of work giving no quick sign of success or failure. I’ve had to read in carefully to extract the good news. What is it all about? This report outlines findings from the 6th phase of the Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare (SSELC), focusing on 3-year-olds who were accessing up to 1140 hours of funded ELC. The SSELC forms a major part of the strategy for the evaluation of the expansion of funded ELC in … Continue reading Scottish Government’s Funded Early Learning and Childcare project – 97% engagement, 72% increase in reported good health and greater benefits for those in deprived areas

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As number of schools in England facing structural building failure surges, 92% in Scotland are safe – rated good or satisfactory – after inspection, up from only 62% under Labour

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By stewartb Evidence of Westminster governments allowing England’s deterioration, this time its school buildings. What follows comes in a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) published today, 21 October: ‘Departmental overview: Department for Education 2024-25’ (See https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Department-for-Education-Overview-2024-25.pdf ) It reports, in the ‘matter of fact style’ that is characteristic of the NAO, that: ‘DfE has reported the risk of school building failure resulting from structural safety issues as one of its top risks since 2021-22. Our 2025 report ‘Maintaining public service facilities’ identified a £13.8 billion maintenance backlog in schools – 28% of the government backlog. Cabinet Office estimated that deferring work to … Continue reading As number of schools in England facing structural building failure surges, 92% in Scotland are safe – rated good or satisfactory – after inspection, up from only 62% under Labour

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Latest figures further highlight the shocking contrast between levels of domestic abuse of children and adults in England and Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA Back around 2014, Frankie Boyle joked that if Scotland was to become an Islamic republic, it would have to start treating its women better. It was already a joke well past its time then and would be plain daft today. By several measures, even 20 years ago, under the last Labour/Lib Dem administration, Scotland was the most violent part of the UK and especially so for women. Things have changed. The Guardian today has: Nearly 90% of cases before the family courts in England and Wales show evidence of domestic abuse, a watchdog has disclosed. Physical, … Continue reading Latest figures further highlight the shocking contrast between levels of domestic abuse of children and adults in England and Scotland

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A story never to be told – Domestic abuse of women twice as common and, of children, four times as common, across the border

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and abusive past has made more than 19 500 reports since it started ten years ago. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland in their BBC Breakfast insert have the above special report today but it’s not being coverfed anywhere else. Interesting, what effect is the scheme having on the relative level of domestic abuse and violence against women in Scotland? That would be an obvious question to ask. They don’t go there so here is the wider picture: Domestic abuse is TWICE as common in England and Wales as in Scotland From the Scottish Government’s Safer Communities Directorate: The police recorded 63,867 incidents … Continue reading A story never to be told – Domestic abuse of women twice as common and, of children, four times as common, across the border

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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 but the Herald is on a completely different track?

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With only 3 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA With a tasteless image to cheaply exploit your only-human emotional response and another infantile adding up to get a big number habit, the Herald today has: More than 100,000 Children’s Panel hearings have been held in Scotland since 2020 amid concerns over the efficacy of the nation’s child protection system. A leading children’s charity has raised the alarm, telling The Herald that the ‘stark’ figures demonstrate Scotland’s “national childhood emergency”. … 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 but the Herald is on a completely different track?

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Why American researchers have not chosen Scotland to test if dogs can sniff out knives

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Professor John Robertson OBA On BBC Breakfast this morning, the above story and from BBC Devon, two days ago: An American university and dog trainers in Plymouth are researching how dogs could help police find knives used to commit crime. The dogs involved in the research project do not detect the knives themselves but a chemical compound created by the blades when they make contact with human skin. The smell of a knife in contact with human skin has been synthesised into a liquid form at Texas Tech University and the dog trainers use that to train the dogs, said … Continue reading Why American researchers have not chosen Scotland to test if dogs can sniff out knives

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News you won’t see – Scottish Government funding for playparks to promote children’s health and development surges by FIVE times in only five years

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Professor John Robertson OBA From: Funding to upgrade children’s playparks: FOI release Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 published yesterday: Question 1 – How much of this money has been allocated (not to be confused with the £25,000,000 announced recently)? The Scottish Government has allocated and committed the following sums since May 2021: The Scottish Government announced recently that in 2025/26 the final funding instalment of £25 million will be provided to the local authorities, which is delivering on the 2021 Programme for Government commitment of funding £60 million for play parks renewal. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500467583/ … Continue reading News you won’t see – Scottish Government funding for playparks to promote children’s health and development surges by FIVE times in only five years

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Police investigate 90 ‘suspicious’ hospital deaths but the Health Secretary is not even mentioned

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: In the Guardian yesterday, this shocking report, above, and: The number of patient deaths being investigated as possible manslaughter at a … Continue reading Police investigate 90 ‘suspicious’ hospital deaths but the Health Secretary is not even mentioned

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Herald stupidly fakes news about teacher numbers and attainment in Scotland as additional support teachers increase

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) Faculty of Education, Research Ethics Chair and Research Methods Tutor to BA Journalism (!) UWS The Herald today has: Teacher numbers fall again as additional support needs reach record levels – Latest figures also reveal the persistent attainment gaps for literacy and numeracy amongst school pupils. In 2024, there were 621 fewer teachers in Scottish state schools BUT, more important than a one-year fluctuation, there were also still 1 453 more than there had been in 2018 AND there were 3 100 fewer pupils for them to teach in 2024. In 2024, there were also 260 … Continue reading Herald stupidly fakes news about teacher numbers and attainment in Scotland as additional support teachers increase

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Almost 90% of Child and Adolescent Mental Health cases start treatment within target

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: 89.1% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 84.1% for the previous quarter and from 75.6% for the same quarter ending September 2023. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS. 1 Sources: Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/ The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116 About Oliver Brown, the … Continue reading Almost 90% of Child and Adolescent Mental Health cases start treatment within target