Barry Black
@BarryBlackNE
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Education researcher. As Craig Finn wrote ‘you're kind of catching me at a transitional time’. Stand Free 🐑
Joined February 2014
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🎥 I was asked at yesterday’s Education Committee why I have called on MSPs to reject the Education Bill at their Stage One vote
The Stage One vote is on accepting ‘the general principles’ of Bill
I don’t believe the Education Bill matches the aspiration or principles of reform
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Here it is.
Poorest pupils Higher pass rate reduced by 15.2% between teacher estimate and statistical moderation.
Richest pupils rate reduced by just 6.9%.
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The problem is that if your 'national standards' already produce results that are grotesquely unequal, a statistical model designed to maintain those standards will also be grotesquely unequal.
#SQAResults
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Poorest young people downgraded from a *pass* to a *fail* at Higher at over twice the rate of their most affluent peers.
Predominantly based on their schools' prior performance.
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I support two international teams: Scotland and whoever plays the English national team. I can’t be done with the media circus which surrounds them. I hope they get smashed on Sunday and I’ll take great pleasure in every Spanish chance.
But this is bottom of the barrel stuff. So
Tomorrow's front page 🗞️
Our message to Spain ahead of Euro 2024 final 👀👇
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It's important to note that two years ago today the Scottish Government & the SQA *purposefully* set out to reduce the grades of the pupils at the poorest schools, simply because they went to the poorest schools.
It is also important to note no one lost their job.
Jawdropping.
Here it is.
Poorest pupils Higher pass rate reduced by 15.2% between teacher estimate and statistical moderation.
Richest pupils rate reduced by just 6.9%.
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Except on a Sunday
Take. The. Train.
(and tax aviation fuel to pay for cheaper train fares)
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Let us not forget that Michael Shanks pupils’ exam results were disgustingly taken out of context, used to smear his character, and then shared by a former Minister for young people.
This is joyous to read.
Michael Shanks’ pupils discovering he had won the election on TikTok is hilarious 😂✊🌹
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📝 There’s a temptation to think there is a ‘mistake to be fixed’ in the SQA results.
There was no mistake. This unfair system was designed.
Me, for the Scotland on Sunday.
Please read and share. 🔁
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🌹 I’ve worked hard to highlight how unequal Scotland’s education system is as a researcher.
I want to change that as a MSP.
I’m standing to be
@scottishlabour
’s
#1
candidate on the North East list.
Please get involved ➡️
And share 🔁
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Aberdeen is closed by road, rail, air and sea.
Fortress Pittodrie. 🐑
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My honest question is why is he making his assistant run behind him? Genuinely odd behaviour.
@GMBScotOrg
The health secretary
@HumzaYousaf
does not appear to be having a good day at work…
H/T
@STVAlison
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In 2020, John Swinney signed off an assessment process which reduced the grades of poorer pupils, simply because they were poor.
The poorest schools had double the downgrades compared with the most affluant, and X4 as many compared with private schools.
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At no point during the whole pandemic have restrictions ever lasted 'three weeks'
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Should have ended when he gave the ministerial direction to downgrade the exam results of poor kids simply because they went to poorer schools, in my humble opinion
After almost 16 years as a Minister, I have today written to the First Minister to say that when her successor is appointed I will leave Government. Serving Scotland has been the privilege of my life. Thank you. 👇
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An incredible privilege to successfully defend my thesis (with some corrections) in a characteristically damp Glasgow today
Thanks to Dr Marina Shapira, Dr Queralt
Capsada-Munsech & Prof Mhairi Mackenzie for all their work
And
@CatherineLido
and Keith, my supervision team
🙌🏻
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John Swinney instructed and signed off a system of assessment which downgraded poorer pupils more - not based on their ability - but because they were poorer.
He then defended it.
The defining moment of his time as Education Secretary.
Oh, and his system this year is worse.
Here it is.
Poorest pupils Higher pass rate reduced by 15.2% between teacher estimate and statistical moderation.
Richest pupils rate reduced by just 6.9%.
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Teachers and school support staff should be a high priority group for vaccination.
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✍️ I have a letter published in today’s
@pressjournal
regarding comments about libraries in the Town House this week that ‘a building will not teach your children to read’.
A preposterous statement based on no evidence.
Please share!
Full text:
This is
@AberdeenSNP
’s Cllr Hazel Cameron who voted TWICE to shut down 6 libraries (2 in her own ward).
Over 2000 have signed the 2 petitions while protests continue against the closures!
She is not listening to her constituents‼️
This is what she has to say about libraries📚
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Hard to imagine worse papers this morning for the new Education Minister and the SQA. Deservedly so.
A second SQA scandal is in full bloom, and its outcomes are going to be worse than last year.
No lessons from last year learned, and another cohort of pupils failed.
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Thank you to 6,294 of my fellow Aberdonians who felt I was worth their vote, and huge congratulations to
@KevinStewartSNP
!
I’m owe so much to so many for their support over this campaign. We’re building the alternative, and that we will continue! 🌹
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Been badly needed for the entirety of the past year of course. But the actual Government needs to wait until after an election to make it happen. Why? Do it tomorrow First Minister.
🗳 👩💻 If
@theSNP
is re-elected in May, we will make sure every school pupil from P1 to S6 gets a laptop, Chromebook or tablet. In the digital age this should be as automatic as being given jotters and pencils was in years gone by.
#BothVotesSNP
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‘A building will not teach your children to read’ says a councillor voting to close libraries.
This is one of the most extraordinary interventions I’ve heard. Wow.
This is
@AberdeenSNP
’s Cllr Hazel Cameron who voted TWICE to shut down 6 libraries (2 in her own ward).
Over 2000 have signed the 2 petitions while protests continue against the closures!
She is not listening to her constituents‼️
This is what she has to say about libraries📚
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The Scottish Government have announced they are keeping both accreditation and regulation functions with the ‘new’ SQA.
This is directly in opposition to the Muir review. Another slap in the face for serious reform.
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Here is the scandal.
If your school had no historical data, your teachers' estimates were just accepted. Astonishing.
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Delighted to have submitted my PhD thesis today!
So many thanks are due but none more so than to Prof. Keith Kintrea, Prof.
@CatherineLido
, and my sister Emma for their support, advice, and patience. Simply would not have been possible without them
Fitting it’s on April Fools…
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The Tories are absolutely terrified of
@AnasSarwar
. And rightly so.
Scotland deserves a better Government, and it deserves better than such a pathetic opposition.
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📋 If I’m elected in May, I’ll be the first MSP to have grown up in care.
Representation is important, as is action.
I’m launching my ‘initial’ thee-point plan for care experience.
➡️ Implement review
➡️ Protected characteristic
➡️ Tutoring scheme
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📺Tonight I spoke on
@STVNews
about the SQA's lack of transparency - and how some of the
#SQAResults
mess could have been avoided if they did what they told the Scottish Parliament they would do in May.
You can watch
@stvewan
's full report here -
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Every year the Scottish Government reports on the Educational Outcomes of Young People in Care.
Every year it is awful reading. So here follows a thread. And what we can do about it.
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The SNP didn’t deliver two of the three things cited here
Corbyn's message to Scotland appears to be that he likes what
@thesnp
has delivered in Scotland on free personal care, free tuition and free prescriptions so he's going to do the same down south.
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On Thursday, you’ll have two ballot papers
🍑 Peach is the party vote, for the regional list
💜 Purple is the constituency vote, for your local MSP
For a focus on a National Recovery, and a MSP who will prioritise education, make it
#BothVotesLabour
!
📋
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I never supported universal free school meals, until I looked at the evidence.
There were 4 key points to my argument. I was wrong on each one.
Here’s the research that convinced me 🧵⬇️
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🎓 20% of young people in the poorest postcodes got an A at Higher this year
🎓 43.4% of the young people in the richest postcodes did
This is the old normal.
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Unless I am reading it wrong, historical school data is the ONLY thing that has been used to adjust grades.
This was never set out as the plan.
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The drivers of educational inequality aren’t within the four walls of the classroom.
They are to do with poverty.
Live on
@BBCScotNine
last night ⬇️
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Two months ago,
@ALFraioli
called an ambulance for me due to diabetes related sickness. She was simply told there were none.
And this story is nothing compared to the stories in the media today.
It’s absolutely a crisis.
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SNP cut £20 million from universities out of THIS YEAR’S AGREED BUDGET yesterday, by the way
🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
🔵 Tories won't abolish tuition fees.
🟠 Lib Dems won't abolish tuition fees.
🔴 And now Labour won't abolish tuition fees.
🏴 The SNP abolished tuition fees in government, and only the SNP will protect and stand up for free education.
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🎓An absolute honour to win
@UofGSPS
'Teaching Excellence Award’ for GTAs!
In such a tough year, the way all our School has adapted has been incredible.
Impossible without the support of so many, but particualry
@DrSharonEWright
,
@kezdugdale
,
@AnastaciaRyan
and
@CatherineLido
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I see that Jason Leitch has said it may have been a mistake to close schools during the pandemic.
Pretty extraordinary intervention.
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Over the next few weeks, I want to talk to you about priorities for Aberdeen Central that match the scale of the challenges we face.
About Labour’s Plan for National Recovery in:
📋 Jobs
🏥 Health
📚 Education
👩👩👦👦 Communities
🌳 Environent
RT 🔂
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This afternoon’s announcement in full.
Graphic design is my passion.
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I’ve been seriously ill in hospital during this week of holiday purgatory. Infections and diabetes don’t mix
No tout for wishes or anything but just to say grateful to be here, for the amazing NHS - performing absolute miracles - and for wee Oscar 💫
Happy New Year! 🌃
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Despite all the ‘Promises’, over 60% of pupils in care still leave school without one Nat5.
Only 14% leave with a higher.
Scotland’s shame
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Is this the replacement ferries?
I’m
#SNPbecause
I want to live in a normal country that gets the government it elects. I look to my my Nordic neighbours with envy!
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The SQA used a twenty-three year old study as its only(!?) evidence for the rank ordering system it used.
A system where teachers had to predict student performance to within two percentage points.
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🔎 In September, I helped expose the SQA results scandal.
📚 Young people deserve a fresh start. Education must be Scotland’s number one priority.
🗳 With your vote on Thursday, I’ll fight to ensure that’s the case.
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This party has confidence in itself once more, and its great to see.
A set of results unimaginable ten weeks ago given the mess that was left.
We go forward with a spring in our step. 🌹
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Scottish Labour's 'come-back' plan for education:
📚 A national tutoring scheme
📜 A personal Come-back Plan for each pupil
📝 A re-sit guarantee
👩🏫 Support for our workforce
🌳 A summer comeback focused on socialisation
A plan with the correct priorities for young people.
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NEW: Today I have published a comprehensive research briefing focused on the likely impact of COVID-19 on the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland.
You can access the full report and summary via
@policyscotland
here -
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Holyrood just approved proposals which impact businesses that MSPs of the governing party can’t define, and have to Google live in parliament
Good God. SNP making policy by live googling in Parliament. This is no way to make laws that will impact millions of people. Farcical.
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The Scottish government promised every young person in the country a laptop and an internet connection.
In August, young people and staff won’t be able to download Microsoft Word.
‘No press release confirming the change was issued by the Scottish Government at that time, and
EXCLUSIVE in
@heraldscotland
Teachers and pupils face loss of crucial school IT, including Word and PowerPoint, in the new school year...and the government has known about it since August last year.
Get the full story here 👇
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Would you be surprised if I told you it was a great response on the doors this afternoon?
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My PhD research has focused on influences over subject choices.
I am in no doubt this will lead more people to simply choose to leave school.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants all pupils to study maths to 18
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Aberdeen City Council has not met with Aberdeen Football Club even once this year about a new stadium.
Council also won’t commit if it even supports a beach stadium. Nothing about funding, just the principle of support.
No vision.
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His name was Jonathan. He was 17. He took his own life in your care. He is the tenth young person in just over a decade. He wasn't just 'someone'.
Your statement could have the decency to say his name
@scottishprisons
.
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Better days lie ahead because better days have to lie ahead.
If you believe that the next five years need to be focused on recovery, and if you believe in the future of our great city, vote Labour on Thursday.
🎬Watch and share my polling week video 🔂
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There was no inevitability about this. Anyone working in schools will tell you there has been a complete absence of support since Covid to deal with its consequences.
The Scottish Government did not make the resources that were needed available and even voted against
Attainment is down for all at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level.
The attainment between the richest and poorest is at its largest ever level at Higher and Advanced Higher.
Worse general attainment, larger inequality.
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These remarks from Councillor Kairin van Sweeden have rightly been called ‘absolutely racist’.
Why is she still a councillor?
Disgusting.
⬇️ In just 90 seconds, this clip shows the depths that this SNP / Lib Dem Administration have taken Aberdeen City Council to.
This is blatantly unacceptable - and
@AberdeenSNP
must apologise.
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Here is the Higher pass rate for state vs. private schools.
For private schools, 92.3% achieved an A-C grade. 58.7% got an A.
For state schools, 73.6% achieved an A grade. 28.1% got an A.
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I’m 100/1 to be next Scottish Labour leader apparently.
Perplexed I’m twice the odds of
@KeiranON
like, but alas...
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🚨If I’m elected to the Scottish Parliament, I’ll put forward legislation to scrap and replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority
We need an agency that inspires confidence, and which helps unleash the potential of our modern curriculum
Read more ➡️ …
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This was supposed to be published this month. It was delayed due to COVID, which was understandable.
But the Government have it. Publish it.
Ministers have been accused of a “stitch-up” after it emerged that an international review of Scotland’s schools that will only be published after the Holyrood election has already been delivered to the government
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Here is my take on the
#SQAResults
and the way forward in
@TesScotland
.
Very well done to the young people who forced this change. The kids are alright.
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➡️ Schools should clearly close from today, keeping them open next week is inconsistent with today’s message
➡️ Staff in hubs in January must have PPE (they didn’t in spring)
➡️ We need random mass testing schools in January, as I’ve been calling for -
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Scottish Government has just announced £20 million cuts to Higher Education in THIS YEAR’s agreed budget.
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An absolute privilege to speak about ‘the perception gap’, subject choices and the role of deprivation at
@researchEDScot1
#REDAberdeen
today.
Thanks to
@robin_macp
,
@kirstcolquhoun
and
@tombennett71
for having me, and to all that came to listen and contribute!
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The SNP promised to abolish student debt: it is currently over £5.5 billion pounds.
Labour also isn’t in power.
I’m all for criticism and debate, but this is just so unserious an attempt.
New research shows students in England will graduate with an average of £45,000 of debt after Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on abolishing tuition fees.
🏴 In Scotland, where
@theSNP
abolished tuition fees, students graduate with 67% (£29,960) less debt.
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It was a pleasure to speak to
@BBCScotNine
as part of
@BBCandrewkerr
’s report into
#SQAResults
.
You can also read my thoughts in more detail on
@TesScotland
-
Watch the whole report here -
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Now that there is a longer physical closure of the school estate, the time should be used to vaccinate teachers and school staff.
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£25 million short of what’s needed to put two filters in each class, which they and the greens voted against in December
💷 We're delivering an additional £5 million to improve ventilation in schools and childcare settings.
👍🏼 That's on top of money previously provided for CO2 monitors, to mitigate the risks of Covid.
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I’ve just handed in my postal vote!
If you haven’t returned yours, you can hand it in to any polling station!
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On Wednesday, I am privileged to be giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Education Committee on the Education Bill
I’ve been lucky to visit schools and talk to teachers, pupils and parents & it’s clear there’s appetite for change, but that this Bill doesn’t deliver it ⬇️
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No ego here, but last year, with others, I predicted what the SQA system would do
FWIW, this year:
🔘 Similar levels of inequality, with greater regional variation
🔘 Sharper benefit for richest
🔘 A non-working appeals system
🔘 There will not be a ‘fix’ like last year
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Absolutely howling still this was the P&J’s Christmas Morning output 😂😂😂😂
The top 5 worst roundabouts in Aberdeen — do you agree?
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This is extraordinary. One of the real success stories of recent times, and it’s frozen because the budget has not been signed off?
‘housands of young people who had expected to start a new Modern Apprenticeship in April have been left in limbo because of the freeze’
No new Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland for the foreseeable future.
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This campaign has been the privilege of my life. Thanks to all - particularly
@paulthepearson
,
@JacobMCampbell
,,
@callumjodwyer
,
@ALFraioli
and
@ionamacdonald_
- who have supported it.
Looking forward to polling day tomorrow, after a couple of cold ones of course 🍻🌹
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The SQA told
@SP_EduSkills
in May that they would 'undertake a moderation exercise nationally, using a range of data, discussion and review.'
But all they have used is historical attainment data.
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🚨NEW: Today I'm publishing an academic blog exploring the ‘deprivation impact’ of the SQA Alternative Certification Model
It can be read here - …
@MrMcEnaney
story for the
@FerretScot
and
@SunScotNational
here - …
Please share🔁
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This morning I was delighted to be on
@BBCRadioScot
to discuss what lockdown may mean for education inequality in Scotland
#GMS
You can listen to the full five minutes here -
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A Q&A with…me! 🗣
Thanks to
@MrMcEnaney
for asking me to come and chat about my schooling, kinship care, research approach, teachers being the experts and more.
I feel very privileged people take an interest in my work. 🙌🏻
Hopefully of some interest:
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At today’s
@scotlandpolicy
conference, I stood on my cat’s food box and gave a keynote on ‘priorities for our exam system’.
I argued that aligning our ‘Ten Letters’ - CFE, SCQF, DYW - needs to be the priority.
📝 Read here -
Let me know what you think!
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How much time during this pandemic has been wasted not getting infrastructure in place?
We actually closed mass vaccination centres. We bagpiped them closed.
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I’m backing
@AnasSarwar
to be the next leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
I know he has the campaigning experience and leadership skills to hit the ground running.
Follow
@AnasForLeader
. 🌹
🎥⬇️
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Interesting (and concerning) analysis of PISA results from Prof Lindsay Paterson.
Looking at the *highest* attaining pupils from the *most disadvantaged* backgrounds in Scotland, he finds that their attainment has continued to decline. In England, it has improved.
'So
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At least SNP canvasser is now included in the school leavers’ ‘positive destination’ statistics
SNP embroiled in zero-hours contract row after admitting hiring door-to-door leafleters
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It was a dream of mine to work for an ex-leader of the party, one of the sharpest in politics and the person who inspired me into Labour politics. Unfortunately Ed Miliband wasn’t hiring at the time but working for
@IainGrayMSP
for the past two years has been an absolute pleasure
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