To really really hate the SNP.

[Twooter]

Got that off my chest.

It's soon going to be like living in a fucking shortbread tin.

Just had a look at my old school's website. They've managed to keep it to 7 Nat 5s (rather than 6). What they do ( no idea how common this is, DC still primary school age) is to get the pupils to "personalise their broad general education phase" so they make subject choices for s3 but these aren't their Nat 5 choices, but I suspect it might be hard to pick something up in 4th year having missed 3rd.

So at s3 they all do English, Maths, Modern Language, Science and Social Studies.

They then choose one subject from:
Business Education
Design and Manufacture
Computing
Engineering
Music Technology
Enterprise

and another from:
Music
Art
Drama
Physical Education
Dance
Media

By S4 a language isn't compulsory anymore like it was for me at Standard Grade. It's also now not possible to do 3 sciences and a language which was pretty common.

I think the local call handlers is a bit of a red herring.

However, a couple lay dead/dying for 3 days just off an extremely busy motorway AFTER a member of the public had reported the accident. I don't give a toss if the call handlers were based on Mars - it is an utter disgrace that that happened and points to organisational chaos the shouldn't be swept under the carpet.

I think using the personal tragedies of people in order to win an argument on the internet is pretty low.

I'm not using it to win an argument, I didn't start an argument. You are saying that there is no issue with centralised call centres, I'm saying there is evidence to show that there is. Being ain a call centre and not at the receiving end does not make you an expert. I might think I do a brilliant job, but te only people that can evidence that are the people on the the receiving end of what I do

Your comment is implying that in supporting national call centres I do not care what happened to those people.

I implied no such thing. this isn't down to the people, I am sure they are doing their best. Once again it the system.

That's also pretty low. Especially as I worked taking emergency calls for years.

What's also pretty low?

Thousands of calls are handled by the emergency services every day. The systems are set up so that people can get through and their needs prioritised and tasked. It's unrealistic to expect local calls to be handled by local people. It's the folk who attend who have local knowledge.

Yes they are, I'm not specifically talking about emergency calls, that's not the only call centres that exist for these services - you also have police and ambulance call centres that deal with non-emergency calls and patient transport etc too.

I knew that CFE was not well regarded but had no idea how limiting it was. My current favourite is 1+2 languages at primary. Great idea in theory but a lot of the teachers aren't qualified to teach languages to such a level so they meet a resourcing issue. . But looks good on paper and sounds great in a nice speech eh...

Yes it is a disgrace that happened. Absolutely.

I have a relative in the Western Isles, her DS is doing nat 5 this year. They are moving lock stock and barrel to the mainland as he hasn't had a qualified maths teacher for two and a half years. It's been 'taught' by other teachers and supplemented with a monthly visit from a real maths teacher. How can that be right?

As for "closing the attainment gap", that's weasel words for lowering standards imo.

Ds is in S3 and doing Nat 5s. I have to admit I haven't a fucking clue what is going on! I did O grades and Higher, DDS did Standard Grades and Higher/Intermediates, and I'm baffled as to what Ds is actually doing. He has just dropped two subjects,one of which was a modern language, so is doing no languages at all and only one science - physics. And then things like graphic design and computing. He has no idea what he wants to do and seems to be taking as many "easy options as possible to do as little work as possible. He's a bright kid, but lazy, does the bare minimum and his presentation is shocking but his school report says he's on course for N5s and thus, great things! Shocked how much standards have been dumbed down in Scotland over the years.

This may not be as much of an issue in the main cities etc but it is an issue in the rural areas. They had similar issues with coastal services being sent to the wrong place as there are multiple places with the name name e.g. Tarbert. If someone local took the call they could use that local knowledge to know that and ascertain that the correct location has been established. If you didn't know that you may direct someone to the wrong place since both Tarberts are in Argyll. That's just one axample.

Yes ,my DS is doing well at all his subjects but wanted to drop French and chemistry because, obviously graphic communication and Art and design are on par. The maddening thing is art and graphic design are well suited for a crash higher but has anyone tried arguing sense into a 14 yr old?

Whilst I am having a rant my son's high school has a terrifying staff turnover, relies heavily on substitute teachers and far, far too many DVDs. To say I'm underwhelmed would be an understatement.

Oh, and in primary school the free school meals are shite. Baked potato with a side order of chip? That was all that was left.

Rapunzel you are perfectly entitled of course to dislike a political party if you don't like what they stand for and disagree with their policies. However I find it appalling you see fit to resort to personal insults and call 2 politicians "ugly little trolls" just because you don't like them.

TheTroubleWithAngels :(

That makes me ashamed. I'd gladly have been paying more to my council tax during all these years of freeze. Even an extra couple of pound from everyone would have saved vital services and support from being cut from the vulnerable. It makes me sick to my stomach. Those poor kids. Why give free school meals to kids who's parents are able and happy to pay when you could use the extra money to make sure that the vulnerable kids could get a decent meal since for some it might be the only one they get. Why give people free prescriptions when they are happy to pay. My son gets cream for his skin. I'd happily buy it rather than get it free on prescription but I can't. It's not available over the counter so I need the prescription to get it. Cost price would be about a tenner a month if i could buy it but I bet it costs the NHS more.

You take a postcode.

Anyway. Im taking my tiny brainwashed, troll-like mind over to see what our high school offers at Nat 5.

Thanks

Ubik I think the only thing I can say is what I would say to everybody. Obviously you can vote for who you want and for whom you think best represents your views, but please just look into it and think about it first. I don't think anyone should be voting for any person or party without truly considering why they are doing it. Look beyond the headlines and the rhetoric and the protestations, keep in mind that a lot of the "independent" info that is released isn't in fact independent and is actually SNP sponsored.

None of the parties is perfect. Find your best fit and vote for them with your eyes wide open.

Obviously you can vote for who you want and for whom you think best represents your views, but please just look into it and think about it first. I don't think anyone should be voting for any person or party without truly considering why they are doing it. Look beyond the headlines and the rhetoric and the protestations, keep in mind that a lot of the "independent" info that is released isn't in fact independent and is actually SNP sponsored.

So basically, people who vote SNP don't consider who to vote for, and are unable to research issues independently? In fact people who vote SNP.are obviously just too stupid to vote?

I've made three 999 calls and on no occasion did I have the faintest clue of the postcode. One I was on a motorway and saw an accident, another I was on a hill looking down on a fire, on the third I was in the main church in a small village. On all occasions a local call handler would easily be able to identify exactly where I was referring to from the information I could give but instead I had to waste critical time trying to find out the proper postal address.

That's why I am still waiting for them to define "fairness" Angels. Fairness isn't about treating everyone the same, because funnily enough people aren't all the same. If I couldn't make it to Uni from my poor background with all the grants etc available in the 80s, what chance have these kids got now? We are relatively well off now, both working but in lower rate tax paying jobs, but we have a nice house/car and holidays etc and DC go to a very academic school....and I'm still sweating about being able to get them through Uni (i'd rather they came out with no debt) then goodness knows what struggling parents are thinking.

That's not what I said itsall I was directing that more specifically to Ubik who started of thinking that loads of things were great but with no basis in fact.

Personally I think that is probably true for a lot of people no matter which party they are voting for. I've added that you need to be careful with the source of evidence and facts as being the people in power, the SNP actually have a lot of influence on how information is presented (or not presented) to the public. that is equally true to a lesser extent when other parties are in power.

I don't think that recommending that someone looks into who/what they are voting for is a bad thing - but maybe it is if you are an SNP supporter?

I worked for BT about a hundred years ago and even then there was no correlation between where the operator was and where the callers were. Hence the fun trying to interpret what someone meant by "the Chinese, you know the one opposite the chippie and over the bridge".

Just had a text from my sister. East ren council have cut the breakfast club from her DS's school and now the contract with the private provider has fallen through so no breakfast club for the rest of the school year.

She can't get to work but at least her DS gets a free school meal .

All a direct result of the council tax freezes. Nice one Nicola.

God it is making me so angry!!! I feel like I'm the Wee boy in the emperor's new clothes sometimes. Why are people voting for these fuckwits!!!!

The irony is that my sister is an SNP voter!

I don't think that recommending that someone looks into who/what they are voting for is a bad thing

This I agree with, but your post seemed to be entirely directed at SNP supporters

I fully agree that there is an awful lot of anecdata flying around on this thread, due to the nature of this thread most of this is from those who will not be voting SNP.

Everyone who intends to vote needs to take a good hard look at the available evidence (and who produced the evidence!)

It was directed at Ubik who I think is a confused SNP sympathiser I think but it's hard to tell.

I've reread my post and apart from saying check the independant info is actually independent as a lot of it is SNP sponsored (which is a fact and given that they are the party in power they are responsible for publishing most of it rather than the other parties so I deem that reasonably fair) I don't think it sounds like it's aimed at any particular voter but it's hard to tell as I wrote it and I'm clearly anti SNP. Anyway that wasn't my intention. I'm trying to say that obviously you can vote for who you like but do it with your eyes open.

There was something mentioned up thread about the nat 5 system which was a little concerning (well actually it all was).

Many posters have stated you can only do 6 at this level but one poster mentioned that at a private school the pupils could do 8.

If this is commonplace then this is leading to a huge gap in education between the wealthy and the poor so not going to help those from the poorest backgrounds.

Is anyone in a position to clarify on this?