Where are all my No-mates?

[HamletsSister]

In despair. Absolutely in despair. Do we have to go through this again? And with such a long lead up to the referendum? Really? What happened to the settled will of the Scottish people?

@statisticallychallenged Will you help me get through this again? (Was Roseformeplease then).

[TinfoilHattie]

The behaviour of the Yessers on SReporting Scotland last night was appalling - they shouted, chanted and were totally rude when Jackie Bird was interviewing Ruth Davidson. So rude.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

I didn't see it.

[HamletsSister]

And yet the dismantling of Scotland's education system continues.

Under Labour a maximum class size of 20 for English and Maths in S1 and S2 was introduced. It made a HUGE difference and allowed,because few year groups are divisible by 20, a smaller set of the weakest pupils to help with learning.

This is now gone. You can legally teach up to 33 pupils in any non-practical subject in Secondary.

Of course results have suffered.

Why oh why can't they concentrate on fixing things like this.

Incidentally, did anyone else know that John Swinney's brother is the Head of English for the SQA.......so any claim that he was "shocked and surprised" by how Scottish teachers felt" was, at best, dodgy.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

The performance on education is shocking especially as she said that was what she "wanted" to be judged on.

[star15]

Voted no first time, voted remain for brexit and I will vote no to independence again.

The SNP have made a mess of this beautiful country. Schools, NHS and police are all a mess, can they not focus on fixing these problems before spending anymore time and money on a referendum.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

Hamlet I didn't know that about S1 and S2 class sizes - what a fiasco! Widening attainment gap, a cap on scottish students going into university that hasn't increased in line with the rate applications have increased at (because they can't afford to increase the cap), education falling in the PISA rankings...I particularly loathe them for the pretense that they look after the poor.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

Well yes their council tax freeze didn't exactly look after the poor did it.

[HamletsSister]

Shocking, isn't it.

Also, there was no funding put into schools for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, or the new N5, H and AH exams - last time we had major changes we got lots of cash for inservice and books etc. This time - nothing. This meant teaching N5 with old Int 2 materials. Because of the delay in finalising courses, we had to make up huge numbers of things ourselves, taking lots and lots of time.

Often the marking of, for example, projects in Science and Social Subjects does not reflect their guidance. Meaning that colleagues have only found out how to help pupils secure good marks after they have spoken to those who mark for SQA. That information was not shared with schools.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

I'very bought all the red study guides for my daughter, because she told me this.
The books are so old and while the teachers are very good and very encouraging they can not do anything with the system as it stands. If there is a change over in staff for example it is impossible to ensure that the whole syllabus is being covered without the right materials.
Study guides don't come cheap though and if you are on the poverty line your chances of having one for each subject are slim.
I also worry about the grandstanding on free uni that they do. While I like free uni and want it to stay, it will not benefit the poor unless more is done to help them to obtain the grades needed for entry.
They really are a sham. Why did they not put some of the money from their underspend towards education?

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

I've (predicted text sorry)

[NoLotteryWinYet]

absolutley - free tuition fees are an increasingly unaffordable subsidy to the middle classes - most poor children don't get to university at all, their problems need addressing much earlier in their lives. If you made middle class people pay for tuition and had a range of grants available for kids from poorer backgrounds, it'd be fairer. I know this is politically unpalatable but I've never quite understood why, except people don't like paying more!

At the moment, the static cap on 'free tuition' Scottish students is artificially reducing the number of Scottish kids getting offers.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

At the moment, the static cap on 'free tuition' Scottish students is artificially reducing the number of Scottish kids getting offers.

Well yes quite. Plus the fact that if it is offered free for scots we have to honor this for eu students too. Who wouldn't come when they are getting free uni? The reality is that it reduces places for Scottish kids. It surprises me that so many kids from the rest of the uk come tbh. It must be frustrating when you are surrounded by students from all over Europe and you are the only ones paying.

I like free uni as it benefits my family, but the scheme they have in england where you only pay your study fees back once you are earning over a certain amount seems more sensible and sustainable.

I would like to see them keep it, but ensure all kids get a fair chance of achieving the grades to get in. The snp policy is not doing that.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

Even if they did it on a part loan, part grant basis it would be more sustainable.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

yes, there are plenty of alternatives to a 'free' good that's very hard to access!

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

I don't think higher education funding should have anything to do with your parents income, after all you are an adult when you go to uni and just because your parents are well off does not mean you will be. I do think that people should have to pay for that education later on in their lives if they have been able to use it to secure success. That's all that happens in england. I don't have any idea why people are so dramatic about it.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

This is how it stands at the moment in England:

You only start repaying your loan once you've graduated and you're earning more than £21,000 a year. After that, you'll pay back 9% of anything you earn over £21,000. So if you're earning £26,000 a year, you'll lose £450 in loan repayments - £37.50 each month.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

Also it is written off after 30 years if you have not repaid it all.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

i agree up i thought the English system was fair enough. In an ideal world we'd have free tuition back but it's not sustainable given the % of people doing degrees now, or at least it's not something I'd prioritize over spending in early years on education.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

Yes.. Kids need to be able to read and write and count their change at the shops first and foremost.

[Iamtheresurrection]

One think that shocked me is children are no longer expected to sit for story time at nursery - it's the child's decision if they want to listen or not. Why? Surely we want children who are 1. Able to sit still and listen, 2. Can follow instructions, 3. Learn new words through listening?

[NoLotteryWinYet]

i agree - i thought being able to sit through a story was a key check for passing through into P1?

[Iamtheresurrection]

I can't remember the exact reason as I had a child climbing over me but it could be to do with "the rights of the child".

No solid foundation for learning is going to create problems further down the line.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

What do people make of this? Do other people enrol their childeren in political parties at birth? This mentality concerns me. They often say there was a surge in membership. Could this sort of behaviour ecplain why?

www.thenational.scot/news/15187666.Saltire_baby_Charlie_becomes_on_one_of_the_youngest_members_of_the_SNP/

[bathshebaneverdene]

Nippy, the fact that the national has written this up as if it's a 'Good Thing' tells us all we need to know!

DNephew was born in England. DSis' FIL fully expected her to make a last minute dash up the motorway when she went into labour so he would be born in Scotland .

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

During the last campaign I walked past their face painters with people handing out baloons and badges.
Call me old fashioned (and slightly conservative) but politics was always a domain for adults only. It would have been very unseemly to overtly align your child with a political party (like hitlers youth for example) in the area I grew up.
I can not describe to you how upsetting I found the scenes of parents rushing up with their kids to get political messages painted on their faces. I had to rush away, because I burst in to tears (embarrasingly).
They sent literature packs out to schools as well. I have only been able to find a copy in a newspaper I don't like but I will post it below.