Tag: scotland

7 Comments

‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ – research review confirms the sense in this

johnrobertson834

‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ By JB The headline above is from Teachers Education Supplement magazine 2019 in an article about a teacher from England who came to work in Scotland. “Teachers have a far better time of it north of the border, says this educator who has experienced school life in both countries”  He goes on to say that “On balance, I think teaching in the Scottish state- education system is better than in the English one. It seems foolish now that I never considered there would be differences; it’s just that my English-centric view had … Continue reading ‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ – research review confirms the sense in this

5 Comments

Man from Stewarton knows nothing at all about Scottish schools as he calls for Michael Gove’s ideas to be implemented here

johnrobertson834

Michael Gove’s bookshelf with David Irving’s holocaust denying The War Path on it. Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to reader Legerwood for alerting me to this: Published in Herald today, a letter by Graeme Arnott of Stewarton, claiming: Premier league of achievement? Stuck with a failing model? This thesis does not survive a collision with the evidence. From UK Poverty 2025 The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, today: There are differences between the statistics on attainment in schools in the four UK nations which limit comparisons but the size of the gap between … Continue reading Man from Stewarton knows nothing at all about Scottish schools as he calls for Michael Gove’s ideas to be implemented here

11 Comments

Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

johnrobertson834

By JB In February 2025 the Medical Travel Insurance specialists at AllClear released a report analyzing more than 2,000 Reddit comments identifying the most frequently mentioned destinations for the best-tasting tap water on Earth.  “After reviewing all the comments, the team found that Scotland was the most frequently mentioned destination in Europe and the second most mentioned location in the world. The report noted that travelers particularly praise the water from the Highlands and lochs, particularly Loch Katrine, for its “bottled-water taste.”  The Best Tap Water in the World, According to Reddit The best-tasting tap water in the world – AllClear Travel … Continue reading Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

2 Comments

STV and BBC let ‘campaigners’ use a survey of 0.002% of Scotland’s asthma sufferers to suggest asthma treatment is worse in the country where it’s clearly far, far better – Scotland

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland and STV have been platforming a survey of only 515 sufferers of Asthma in Scotland, to claim: Its 2025 survey Life With A Lung Condition, which questioned 515 asthma sufferers in Scotland, found only 30% of respondents were receiving basic asthma care, which the charity defined as having an annual asthma review, an inhaler technique check, and a written asthma plan. That is below the figure for the UK, where 32% of asthma sufferers receive this level of care. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/campaigners-call-for-fully-funded-lung-health-strategy-for-scotland As always, we are not told that this is, at most around 0.002% of … Continue reading STV and BBC let ‘campaigners’ use a survey of 0.002% of Scotland’s asthma sufferers to suggest asthma treatment is worse in the country where it’s clearly far, far better – Scotland

9 Comments

Scotland gets first Patient Safety Commissioner three years after England and 18 years after a leading European expert said it was already ‘at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety’ 

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland today: Scotland’s first ever Patient Safety Commissioner is set to be appointed. Experienced healthcare executive Karen Titchener will take up the role after two previous recruitment drives for the £93,094-a-year role failed. There has been a patient safety commissioner in England since 2022. The BBC Scotland report misses something quite important that the above Scottish Health Secretary put in place – see below. Never mind the facts on the ground in hospitals these 18 years, what does it look like to the media? You have to wonder just WTF England’s commissioner has been up … Continue reading Scotland gets first Patient Safety Commissioner three years after England and 18 years after a leading European expert said it was already ‘at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety’ 

6 Comments

90% of local authorities in England ‘failed to submit reliable data’ to their national ‘watchdog’ but it’s not covered by media – Imagine that happened in Scotland?

johnrobertson834

By stewartb A notable statement has been published today from the National Audit Office. The NAO performs a similar role to Audit Scotland but has a quite different public profile: whereas BBC Scotland and others in the mainstream media crawl through every line of every report published by Audit Scotland searching for ‘juicy’ negatives, the NAO’s output gets little mainstream news coverage in England or UK-wide, even when reporting significant negative findings. Today’s NAO report is clearly a major ‘negative’ – and the first of its kind ever – but at the time of writing this comment, there is nothing about it … Continue reading 90% of local authorities in England ‘failed to submit reliable data’ to their national ‘watchdog’ but it’s not covered by media – Imagine that happened in Scotland?

10 Comments

Boris Johnson’s former aide owns a company with no previous polling experience to claim SNP supporters support nuclear energy and a Yorkshire-based ‘Scotsman’ reports it for you – I’d really like to see the full report – I smell something

johnrobertson834

Ed: I’d really like to see their data and methods but can’t see them anywhere. If you can find anything let me know. By Liz S The Scotsman published a story yesterday that stated “Majority of SNP’s voters believe nuclear power should be part of Scotland’s mix of clean energy generation” this has now been declared nowt more than a PR stunt . The Scotsman , which as a newspaper has kept it’s quaint name, I say quaint as a name , as clearly it supports anyone but a person of Scottish origin, and surely in it still retaining the name “The … Continue reading Boris Johnson’s former aide owns a company with no previous polling experience to claim SNP supporters support nuclear energy and a Yorkshire-based ‘Scotsman’ reports it for you – I’d really like to see the full report – I smell something

14 Comments

Grangemouth oil refinery – to have “failed” to make a profit at a time of such high oil prices is unimaginable

johnrobertson834

By George Caldow In what little coverage (I have given up on expecting proper analysis in Scottish or UK MSM) I have seen or read, it has been about points scoring by Politicians. The truth is not so easily constrained within a soundbite. Ineos’s management is poor. To have “failed” to make a profit at a time of such high oil prices is unimaginable however they state they have. We have had statements of intent regarding introducing new technologies yet they have failed to complete many of the projects announced to much fanfare. They received money from the Scottish Government … Continue reading Grangemouth oil refinery – to have “failed” to make a profit at a time of such high oil prices is unimaginable

6 Comments

Anas Sarwar’s shameless opportunism exposed at STUC Conference

johnrobertson834

By Liz S  A delegate at the STUC Conference tells Anas Sarwar and Labour a few home truths on Grangemouth. The Morning Star also noted this in their headline: “Scottish Labour leader’s ‘shameless opportunism’ slammed” The delegate stated this: “As I stand here, workers at Grangemouth — my friends and my colleagues — will walk out for the last time as over a century of oil refining comes to an end,” ‘”It’s a private business, there’s nothing we can do, it’s a commercial decision’ — that’s what they’ve been telling us, and yet everything we called for has happened, just not at Grangemouth” (He, … Continue reading Anas Sarwar’s shameless opportunism exposed at STUC Conference

7 Comments

First Minister’s major speech to STUC ignored

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA First Minister John Swinney’s major speech to the STUC today is being largely ignored. BBC Scotland fully covers all of Labour Leader, Ana Sarwar’s speeches including those to the modestly-attended party conferences. Swinney’s speech is wide ranging, optimistic and challenging on key issues such as the future of Grangemouth, Dundee University, energy, cost of living and poverty, yet the broadcasters and the so-called trusted press fail in their duty to report. He begins: It’s a pleasure to be here today to address the STUC Congress and particularly to be able to do that for the first … Continue reading First Minister’s major speech to STUC ignored