Local high schools mentioned in "Daily Record" online today

[orkneycadian]

It is, unfortunately, an ongoing trend in the devolved countries of the UK. The following graphic from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50642855 Pisa test result averages in science

Scores of 15-year-old pupils, UK nations



Where attainment, in this case in Science in the devolved nations has consistently fallen further than in England. Scotland used to be "well up there", but its very clear to see what devolution is doing to the education systems of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Of course, England is falling too, just not as much as the others. Perhaps an indication that modern education isn't cutting it, and there should be a return to some of the ways that we know worked.

[Corky Smeek]

It is, unfortunately, an ongoing trend in the devolved countries of the UK. The following graphic from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50642855 Pisa test result averages in science

Scores of 15-year-old pupils, UK nations



Where attainment, in this case in Science in the devolved nations has consistently fallen further than in England. Scotland used to be "well up there", but its very clear to see what devolution is doing to the education systems of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Of course, England is falling too, just not as much as the others. Perhaps an indication that modern education isn't cutting it, and there should be a return to some of the ways that we know worked.

I find it extremely sad when a Scot reacts with such joyous, indeed malicious, glee when s/he perceives a failing in something for which the SG has responsibility. What kind of mindset do you have to have to go trawling for stories so that you can then derive pleasure from denigrating your own country? It is particularly galling that the person in question hankers for a bygone age and "...a return to some of the ways that we know worked.", yet appears not to know when to use an apostrophe.

[orkneycadian]

What is quite striking for Scotland in the above graphic is the steepest decline of any of the UK nations from 2012 onwards. This is of course after the SNP success in the 2011 election and their immediate shifting of focus to the independence referendum. But still they think they are doing a good job on education. Unfortunately, the statistics prove otherwise.

[Corky Smeek]

What is quite striking for Scotland in the above graphic is the steepest decline of any of the UK nations from 2012 onwards. This is of course after the SNP success in the 2011 election and their immediate shifting of focus to the independence referendum. But still they think they are doing a good job on education. Unfortunately, the statistics prove otherwise.

Schadenfreude is an unfortunate trait at the best of times but this obsession with finding ways to make Scots feels bad about their country really needs to end. To find some statistics that you feel shows the country in a bad light and then joyously publish them on a web forum really takes a particular kind of twisted thinking. I cannot think of another country in the world where such a sizeable proportion of the population constantly seek to demean the country of their birth and actually seem to want it to fail.

The implication in both of the BritNat-in-Chief's previous posts is that he wants devolution to end and all power to be restored to Westminster. The mere prospect of every aspect of our lives being in the hands of that incompetent bunch doesn't bear thinking about. Evidence from recent events should be a warning to us all that they couldn't run a raffle.

[ScottishWalrus]

Schadenfreude is an unfortunate trait at the best of times but this obsession with finding ways to make Scots feels bad about their country really needs to end. To find some statistics that you feel shows the country in a bad light and then joyously publish them on a web forum really takes a particular kind of twisted thinking. I cannot think of another country in the world where such a sizeable proportion of the population constantly seek to demean the country of their birth and actually seem to want it to fail.

The implication in both of the BritNat-in-Chief's previous posts is that he wants devolution to end and all power to be restored to Westminster. The mere prospect of every aspect of our lives being in the hands of that incompetent bunch doesn't bear thinking about. Evidence from recent events should be a warning to us all that they couldn't run a raffle.

The official line from the SNP is that they want us to follow rules and regulations from outside the UK, specifically Brussels. I do agree however that to point out the failure of the SNP flagship policy of Curriculum for Excellence is underhanded and political point scoring of the lowest kind. We should place the blame where it truly belongs...

In the meantime we should celebrate success - Andy Murray and the 1990 grand slam in rugby! We gave the world haggis, Irn Bru, RunRig and Rabbie Burns - whaes like us?

[aqua]

The steep decline coincided with the introduction of the so-called Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland. All or most of the teachers I know blame the CfE.

[ecb]

The steep decline coincided with the introduction of the so-called Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland. All or most of the teachers I know blame the CfE.

I have heard the same about CfE. But the thing that dismayed me most, is the relatively poor placing of THS (three hundred and fourth out of a total of three hundred and forty four secondary schools) in the table.

[aqua]

Yes, it’s a staggering decline. Mind you, Wick, Golspie, Dornoch and Tain are all in pretty much the same lowly position in the table, surrounded by schools in some of the most deprived areas in the country, which sadly are expected to be down there. Dingwall isn’t a lot better at number 252. What’s gone wrong in the north?

[aqua]

I have heard the same about CfE. But the thing that dismayed me most, is the relatively poor placing of THS (three hundred and fourth out of a total of three hundred and forty four secondary schools) in the table.

THS’s poor placing in the table dismayed me too. What has happened to the school? Is there a shortage of teachers? Has the culture in the school changed? Has the attitude towards education in Thurso changed? Surely the youth of Thurso hasn’t become much less intelligent over the years!?

I suspect people with kids of school age would think twice before moving to Thurso if they saw that table.

[orkneycadian]

You can read a lot into it, especially from the graph further up the thread. Scotland used to be well above the OECD average and on a par with England. England has dropped a bit, but is stilll well above the OECD average. Meanwhile, the other 3 countries of the UK have dropped sharply and are now on a par with the OECD average.

Education needs to be "revolved" (in that its devolved status needs to be reversed) and should become a UK Matter again. This experiment on the devolution of education has obviously failed, and we need to stop playing politics with kids education, and restore it, at least back to the standard it was at, and close to the standard in England.

But it needs to go further than that. England's standard has declined as well, and once education is a UK wide matter again, then the standards need to be driven up. Employers all over the UK are fed up with school leavers with poor literacy and numeracy skills (but a degree in something), who are ill prepared for the working environment, and who are unable to get through a full 60 second period without needing to check their social media.

Caithness and Thurso need not feel guilty about where their school lies in the league table. This is a Scotland wide issue. Its perhaps no accident that the southern belt are well up in the league (though there are plenty of southern belt schools well down it as well). But it just goes to show how southern centric some policies are in Scotland.

[orkneycadian]

The steep decline coincided with the introduction of the so-called Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland. All or most of the teachers I know blame the CfE.

Thanks for the pointer - I didn't realise. I have tried to Google Curriculum for Excellence for the rest of the UK to see how that compares, but all I can find is Curriculum for Excellence for Scotland. I note its overseen by Education Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government, and was implemented in 2010-2011, so just ahead of the SNP government gaining a majority in 2011. So why has nothing been done about it since then, when it so obviously does not work? It would be "normal" for the present Government to say they inherited this problem from the previous one, but why has the Government since 2011 done nothing?

[aqua]

CfE is a purely Scottish thing. IIRC, it was implemented by the SNP government despite warnings by just about everyone. The SNP have been in government since 2007.

Orkneycadian schools performed a bit better:

168. Kirkwall Grammar School, Orkney Islands (33)
202. Stromness Academy, Orkney Islands (31)

The best performing school north of (or in) Inverness was:

31. Fortrose Academy, Highland (54)

[Fulmar]

Lets hope that they can all go back as if not, what then?