Tag: writing

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The Herald’s ‘senior academic’ wheeled in to savage Scottish schools again is mere ‘bean counter’ with no experience of teaching in schools, teacher ‘training’, leadership or research into anything other than assessment data

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The Herald today has: I’ve lost track of how often I’ve felt the need to deal with Prof Paterson, Scotland’s only regular rentagobprof across Scottish and English MSM, always ready to tell everyone that education in Scotland is in decline and worse than elsewhere and, to my knowledge, only fan of Pisa data. He is, to my knowledge, the only serious educationist publishing in peer-review journals who thinks the Pisa scores are of any value at all. I’ll come back to Pisa scores below but first and perhaps explaining his odd attachment to them: Why is Paterson not an expert … Continue reading The Herald’s ‘senior academic’ wheeled in to savage Scottish schools again is mere ‘bean counter’ with no experience of teaching in schools, teacher ‘training’, leadership or research into anything other than assessment data

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The Huffy Bros – Rev(olting?) Stu Campbell and Robin McAlpine fighting for the Union

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The had such promise in 2014, those two, but these days all they do is snipe, living for SNP scandals they can persuade mugs to read about and earn them a living. I suspect their business model is based on Russel Brand. There are times I wonder about our business model at TuS as we batter-out researched reports to counter Unionist lies for well-under the minimum wage and they just feed lazily on tabloid………….shite. McAlpine’s latest in an exemplar of projection, projection of your own doubts, with eg: Sturgeon would still be Narcissus, the Greek tragic hero who so needed … Continue reading The Huffy Bros – Rev(olting?) Stu Campbell and Robin McAlpine fighting for the Union

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As an English judge is soft on three young gang rapists BBC News does not call England ‘rape capital’ of the UK

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As BBC Breakfast ask Gisele Pelicot to discuss the astonishing, shameful, failure by an English judge to detain three frankly evil young gang rapists, BBC Scotland seem unable to find a story to tell us that things are as bad here. They tried in June 2025 when annual crime statistics were published showing an increase in sex crimes. The media in Scotland are headlining the increase in recorded cases of rape and attempted rape in Scotland. Though the increase may in part be a consequence of a greater confidence by victims to come forward and report these crimes, the figures … Continue reading As an English judge is soft on three young gang rapists BBC News does not call England ‘rape capital’ of the UK

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Is Tory monarchist and arch-loyalist Murdo Fraser MSP resiling from his past remarks praising the qualities of the late queen, Elizabeth?

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stewartb In an increasingly desperate pursuit of his political agenda, to rile up certain Unionists, is Tory monarchist and arch-loyalist Murdo Fraser MSP resiling from his past remarks praising the qualities of the late queen, Elizabeth? In The Scotsman (September 13, 2022): ‘King Charles needs no better role model than the late Queen Elizabeth – Murdo Fraser MSP’. ‘The tremendous outpouring of national grief and emotion we have seen over the past few days has been a recognition from a generally unemotional nation of the lengthy and enduring service provided by Queen Elizabeth over the 70 years of her reign.’ (my emphasis) Who … Continue reading Is Tory monarchist and arch-loyalist Murdo Fraser MSP resiling from his past remarks praising the qualities of the late queen, Elizabeth?

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Carole Ford again – some maths teacher, some educationist

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On Debate Night, Reform UK’s Thomas Kerr claimed that nearly 400 000 ‘voted for us.’ It was only 365 000, not so near. Then, ‘educationist’ and former head and maths teacher but a former parliamentary Lib Dem candidate too, Carole Ford, converted that 400 000 into ‘three quarters of a million‘ (750 000)! Rusty? Earlier Ford had repeated her trust in the OECD/Pisa tests which some suggest reveal a decline in standards in Scotland. which are sat right across developed countries, the OECD countries. Scotland’s standards have been on the slide since about 2004. Ford was a Heidie in Kilmarnock … Continue reading Carole Ford again – some maths teacher, some educationist

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Top History Professor says ‘All of my students must use AI’ – Me too!

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Regulars will have noted that TuS has been making increased use of AI in the last year or so and getting some criticism of that. I understand why many are concerned but my view is that this is another technology, like those before, we must master, a ‘tiger we must ride.’ Famous last words perhaps but we humans didn’t get where we are, on top because we are the meanest SOBs on the planet, just to let our own technology replace us. If we, crucially, educate or young to use it carefully, it can massively enhance their lives but when … Continue reading Top History Professor says ‘All of my students must use AI’ – Me too!

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Play this to those hesitating to vote. Let them see the words too

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Lyrics: We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing If we get out and vote for our own We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing When we remember all we’ve sown Pulling thousands out of poverty Sending the same to learn for free Offering a hand to the weak and the sick We begin the path to the Scotland we want We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing If we get out and vote for our own We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing When we remember all we’ve sown To each according to their need From each according to our abilities Paying that wee … Continue reading Play this to those hesitating to vote. Let them see the words too

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A Song for Holyrood 26 – please share

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Lyrics: We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing If we get out and vote for our own We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing When we remember all we’ve sown Pulling thousands out of poverty Sending the same to learn for free Offering a hand to the weak and the sick We begin the path to the Scotland we want We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing If we get out and vote for our own We’ll be singing, we’ll be singing When we remember all we’ve sown To each according to their need From each according to our abilities Paying that wee … Continue reading A Song for Holyrood 26 – please share

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‘My partner was well looked after’ in a Scottish hospital A&E department

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Our Reporting Scotland Up team’s Lisa Brightside was in Glasgow’s super hospital interviewing patients as they left. We met Joe Murray and his partner and they told us about their experience. BBC Scotland’s Reporting Scotland Down team and Lisa Summers were there too but had ignored Joe because he was smiling and had gone off to find someone who had been infected by the pigeon poo they had spotted outside. Here’s what Joe told us: Four weeks ago I had to rush my partner to A&E in the Southern General Hospital in Govan.I had no time to phone 111 so … Continue reading ‘My partner was well looked after’ in a Scottish hospital A&E department

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Herald writer’s suggestion of a ‘risk to life in 10 buildings as ScotGov post-Grenfell repairs stall’ is frankly stupid, dishonest and irresponsible tabloid scare mongering as…

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In the Herald today, Martin Williams has: 10 buildings in Scotland have had emergency safety measures put in place after being judged an “immediate risk to human life” — yet not a single block has been declared fully repaired under the national cladding programme, nearly nine years after the Grenfell Tower Fire. The intervention means some residents are relying on temporary protections such as additional fire safety systems, on-site monitoring and changes to evacuation plans while ‘dangerous’ cladding remains on their homes. What official, responsible, qualified body has ‘judged’ these 10 buildings to be ‘an immediate risk to human life?’ … Continue reading Herald writer’s suggestion of a ‘risk to life in 10 buildings as ScotGov post-Grenfell repairs stall’ is frankly stupid, dishonest and irresponsible tabloid scare mongering as…