Education standards collapsing under the SNP.

[arsenal]

Education standards in Scotland, once seen as the standard bearer of British education have been falling dramatically under the SNP. In power since 200, 7 the last decade have seen a gradual decline in the literacy and numeracy levels north of the border. Perhaps voters in Scotland are beginning to question the wisdom of electing a party to govern if it's going to spend as much energy on it's own agenda. This is yet another blow to under fire Nicola Sturgeon, the SNPs leader who is increasingly looking out of her depth.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/general-election/sturgeon-admits-curriculum-s-literacy-and-numeracy-failures-1-4445841

[goji]

What do you expect from a hopeless load of communists ? [Although not quite as dumb as some of Corbyn's lot]

[arsenal]

In the words of Theresa May I expect them to "concentrate on the day job."

[arsenal]

With Independence now a political dodo perhaps the Scottish government will concentrate on those matters that the majority of the population actually care about rather than the pie in the sky issue that has dominated their agenda,

[scottish-guy]

You wouldn't know it from Arsenal or the BBC/MSM but the SNP actually won the election in Scotland both in terms of winning an outright majority of seats and highest share of the vote.

In such circumstances it is arrant nonsense to suggest that the winning party drop its core belief.

Tantamount to suggesting that Arsenal's "Rule Britannia/No Surrender/Fuck The Pope" quasi-coalition should abandon the Tory policy of letting the poor burn to death in Kensington in order to give One Hundred Pound council tax rebates to the rich.

[scottish-guy]

Moses: it is strangely impossible to use the Pound Sterling sign without the remainder of the post being deleted when uploaded.

Arsenal will be fucking furious - it's akin to a holy icon to him

[arsenal]

Scottish wrote:
"Moses: it is strangely impossible to use the Pound Sterling sign without the remainder of the post being deleted when uploaded."

This thread is about the failings of The SNP with regards to education in Scotland. Now that independence is as much a part of history as 'the swinging sixties' and free school milk perhaps we can offer some constructive advice on how they can rectify this fall in standards. Please don't hijack the thread to push a personal agenda. Thank you.

[scottish-guy]

The Scottish people are sufficiently satisfied with the SNP Government's Education reforms that they continue to re-elect it.

Now that you have English Votes For English Laws perhaps you could perhaps be good enough to keep your fucking nose out of what are entirely devolved matters?

After all, I don't come on here ranting about English Grammar Schools.

[arsenal]

Get off your high horse Scottish, you rant about EVERYTHING. Haha. Now, back to the matter in hand. I for one am glad that we are having this adult debate about an important issue. I am also glad that Sturgeon, who as you have admitted has total responsibility for this calamity has recognised her abysmal record and is looking to do better in the future. I'm sure I don't need to post the link again but the statistics are damning.

[scottish-guy]

... Sturgeon, who as you have admitted has total responsibility for this calamity..

Can you point to where I ever admitted that an apparent drop in the now defunct SSLN survey and a very marginal decline in the 2016 PISA scores was a "calamity" and that Nicola Sturgeon was personally and totally responsible

Just for clarity the Eng&Wales PISA score is 483, Scotland's is 481, and Wales is 478 - so we are doing no better or worse than the rest of the UK.

As far as pointing out things you continually assert I've said but which it invariably turns out I didn't say at all - you really need to stop just making stuff up as you're already a bit of a joke on anything to do with Scotland and rapidly heading towards the status of laughing stock

[arsenal]

If the government is going to shower university students with cash in order to buy/bribe their votes then there will be less money for other areas of the education program. I'm glad you're happy with your party playing fast and loose with the future generations schooling. A valuable lesson perhaps for an immature and dogma driven government. Clearly reflected in the ballot boxes. I prefer to stick to facts on political issues and not hurl baseless insults.

I also notice that although this post was started on May 20th you didn't reply until after the election. That, was presumably because you didn't want to get into a discussion on this subject before the votes were cast. Concerned that voters would take too close a look at The SNPs record on this and other issues such as the economy?

[scottish-guy]

Anybody knows that throwing public cash at schoolkids or students is NOT the answer to improving educational standards, and one only has to notice which countries are at the top of the rankings to confirm that.

The question however ought to be: Are rankings/league tables a reliable or desirable marker on which to base our education system?

To answer that we have to decide what we wish to achieve from it.

We need only look at say S. Korea where many schoolkids are spending 14-16 hours a day at day school and night school in an effort to be at/near the top of their peer rankings - and the suicide rate amongst them is high. We have to ask if that's the kind of society we want and the kind of education system that best serves our young people's future prospects.

In the UK it's extremely tempting to conclude (though it may just be nostalgia) that educational standards were higher when schools had less money and there was 60 in a class - being taught by a teacher who wasn't in it for the pay and 170 days off a year

[arsenal]

Scottish: Yep. I have to agree with everything you've said. In fact, in terms of sending out well balanced people with a rounded view of the world and working knowledge of most subjects, the UK wide education system takes some beating. Having employed many young people over the years I have always been impressed with their level of education as well as their capacity for hard work.

[frequent]

Anybody knows that throwing public cash at schoolkids or students is NOT the answer to improving educational standards, and one only has to notice which countries are at the top of the rankings to confirm that.Absolutely - if you can't afford to send them to Eton or Harrow you've no right having children

On the other hand https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/nyregion/it-turns-out-spending-more-probably-does-improve-education.html

[scottish-guy]

I don't wish to make anyone here feel socially inferior but I did actually graduate from Eton........




....... and went straight to Drinkin'

[frequent]

I don't wish to make anyone here feel socially inferior but I did actually graduate from Eton........Did the Foolin' Around start at Eton or elsewhere? I'm reminded of the rimming scene in the very first episode of Queer As Folk, with the attendant dialogue "I bet they didn't teach you about that in Sex Education"