To say thank fuck for Nicola Sturgeon

[Chippednailvarnish]

I can't stand her anti English stance, but at least one political leader is doing something for the refugees...

It was as if it was more important to be seen to be doing something

This is true in health care too - we are tying ourselves in knots documenting everything we do and as long as we do that, there's no comeback for having done something wrong?? . One has to be seen to be auditing, and documenting, and having mounds of boxes ticked to the detriment of care IMO. I am hoping for a turnaround some time soon

My eldest has just started high school - his history homework was to colour the front of his jotter in
I do wonder whether the general trend to dumbing stuff down to the lowest common denominator is a country- or even world-wide one? This pandering to everybody being a special snowflake is all part of a very ego-centric and hedonistic society we have become (certainly in the rich North-West). I often wonder whether we are in a similar situation as the Roman Empire just before its fall.

Hm. I think I may gone just slightly off topic of this thread

Talk amongst yourselves. It is very interesting. Even if not always edifying.

Yes definitely frustrating re Exams and general dumbing down.

I had to do an SVQ a couple of years ago after my HND to complete my qualification. Dear god that was hideous. Half the time I was telling my assessor the actual answers and god forbid you wrote down you did a job (a general, everyday job such as turning on a PC) without first stating you have checked who the first aider is and found your nearest fire exit, eye wash etc.

Absolute nonsense but I'm going a little off piste.

I think the audits, tests and documents etc are a bit of a vicious circle? The more people point the finger the more auditors are brought in, the more time is spent doing that instead of actual role, the more people point fingers.

I'd like to see testing for my child but I don't think its anyones buisness what level my child is at except mines and the few people and bodies who have control of her education. So in that sense I'm against publishing tables and results and percentages etc, but all for a few tests taking place over the years.

I still have my primary school teport cards from the 80s.

They don't have grades or percentages on them or give any indication of my placing within my class.

They had a handful of 3 tier tick boxes and the odd descriptive sentence.

The cfe ones are a bit daft but they do give more detail than those 80s ones.

The descriptions above of 'studying for the test' sound exactly like how my private school taught us in the 90s.

As long as there are exams teachers/pupils/parents will 'teach to the test'.

Was at Tweedbank today.
Her Maj was v late and stayed about 12mins.

NS much more grovelly to Her Maj than I expected.
There is a funny pic of them though, facial expressions say it all.

NS was there for HOURS letting every tom, dick and harry have his/her pic taken with her, arms around, cheesy grin.
She works hard for the money.

We bumped into her in Pizza Express a couple of days after the IndyRef.
She'd come in for a quiet dinner with her husband.
My kids and I were the only ones there too.
She very nicely said hello to them and posed for a pic
(I was squirming, but the kids were thrilled) which was decent of her in the circs.

But I wish she'd stop being a 'sleb' politican and get on and DO something.