Two recent news articles by the BBC: “Covid: Catch-up narrative putting ‘huge pressure’ on children, psychologists say” (22 February 2021 – read the PDF of the article here) and the Telegraph: “We must be as radical in helping schools as we were with vaccines” (22 February 2021) have highlighted the psychological and educational impact the pandemic and lockdown…
Scotland’s education system was once envied across the world and countries scrambled to copy it. But now, under the SNP’s rule, it has become a scandal which the rulers north of the border are attempting to cover up. The progressive approach taken by the 2010 ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ is to blame. Trendy methods excited university…
Getting primary school children back in class as soon as possible is imperative or the progress made in the country’s education since 2010 will be lost. New research suggests the link between the spread of Covid 19 and primary schools is tenuous. This is why I would urge the government to ensure that primary schools open…
One effect of the pandemic not yet wholly appreciated is the way it has exposed the weakness in assessing children’s progress at primary school level. A dramatic shake-up of the SATs system around four years ago has left educators and parents unaware of exactly how children in this age range are faring. Before the changes,…
Last week I highlighted my fears that Scotland’s progressive curriculum was leaving its education system in crisis. Now a Scottish education think-tank, Upstart Scotland, is calling for the country to follow the lead of some Scandinavian countries and raise the age children start school to seven. In my view, they’re focusing on the wrong issue.…