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If only schools were as transparent and co-operative as prisons...

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Hi everyone and welcome back to Lessons to Learn. This week The Herald has been...

04.04.2025 7

James Mcenaney

Brace yourselves for the confected outrage over new sex education guidance Tomorrow, the Scottish Government is going to publish something that will, almost without doubt, attract not just quite a bit of attention, but also a significant helping of mindless and confected outrage.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Tomorrow, the Scottish Government is going to publish something that will, almost...

28.03.2025 9

James Mcenaney

Was education the defining issue of Nicola Sturgeon’s time in office? Education is the constant thread that runs through the nearly eight-and-a-half years that Sturgeon spent as first minister.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. On the off chance that you haven’t already heard, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s...

14.03.2025 10

James Mcenaney

Russell Findlay is using false stats – here is the reality of early school leavers As I write this, we are somehow into day two of talking about the Tories’ suggestion that we lower the age at which people can leave school.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. As I write this, we are somehow into day two of talking about the Tories’...

07.03.2025 4

James Mcenaney

Major concerns over ASN in schools are no surprise - our series revealed huge issues An investigation by The Herald highlighted a crisis in ASN provision. Now Audit Scotland has warned that government and councils need to "fundamentally rethink" their approach.

Back in December of last year, after running major special reports on both the college and university sectors, The Herald education team (with help...

28.02.2025 10

James Mcenaney

Glasgow and its self-imposed secrecy of the education budget How much do you trust your local politicians? It’s not a trick question.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. How much do you trust your local politicians? It’s not a trick question,...

14.02.2025 10

James Mcenaney

How many children will benefit from SNP/Greens free school meals deal? Good question The Scottish Government has finally secured a budget deal. I was of course very interested to read that it includes an expansion of free school meals provision.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. The Scottish Government has finally secured a budget deal, avoiding the prospect...

08.02.2025 10

James Mcenaney

The rebrand on offer isn’t good enough. The SQA must be broken up.

We are, I think it’s fair to say, long past the point of pretending that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is being replaced. Were all...

03.02.2025 4

James Mcenaney

I don't normally watch Holyrood committees... but this one was an exception I’ll be honest, I don’t spend a huge amount of my working week watching the broadcasts from Holyrood committees. But yesterday I made an exception and it was definitely the right choice.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. I’ll be honest, I don’t spend a huge amount of my working week watching the...

24.01.2025 4

James Mcenaney

Of course I miss teaching. How could I not? Education specialist James McEnaney explores how a visit to a local school made him think back to his own time in the classroom.

Have I ever mentioned before that I used to be a teacher? I feel like it has come up once or twice – maybe three times, at a push – but just in...

17.01.2025 4

James Mcenaney

We want to tell stories from all over Scotland, but we need your help Education specialist James McEnaney explains why issues that seem niche or strictly local can be important national stories.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Hello everyone, and happy new year. This is my first newsletter of 2025 and, to...

10.01.2025 10

James Mcenaney

These education stories remind us to keep looking beyond the central belt In the final Lessons to Learn column of 2024, education specialist James McEnaney revisits two stories from so-called 'remote' parts of Scotland.

Merry Christmas everyone. This is my final newsletter of 2024, marking the end of my first full year with The Herald since joining half-way through...

27.12.2024 10

James Mcenaney

It's 2024: Surely young people have the right to their own beliefs? Some people, it seems, are entirely unaware that we’re living in 2024, and they made that very clear earlier this week.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. The year, dear readers, is 2024. It has now been five years since Covid emerged,...

20.12.2024 3

James Mcenaney

Our series shows that we are certainly not getting it right for every child Over the course of this week we’ve been running a special on additional support needs (ASN) in schools and asking if we really are ‘getting it right for every child’?

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Over the course of this week we’ve been running a special on additional support...

13.12.2024 9

James Mcenaney

The SNP announced a new "ASN plan" for schools... but what if it doesn't exist? Within a few hours, a key budget proposals had already started to fall apart.

Unsurprisingly, the big stories this week are going to revolve around the Scottish Government’s budget proposals, which have now been presented to...

05.12.2024 5

James Mcenaney

How a disastrous committee appearance confirmed that the SQA needs new leadership The exam board's chief executive appeared at the education committee alongside education secretary Jenny Gilruth. It did not go well.

Given the prominence of schools in Scottish politics, the education committee (officially the Education, Children and Young People Committee) at...

04.12.2024 10

James Mcenaney

The complicated reality of the one high school on Mull If you’ve never lived in the parts of Scotland that are considered ‘remote’ then I think it is very difficult, and perhaps entirely impossible, to really understand what a school is, does, and means to people in communities far from the central belt.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. If you’ve never lived in the parts of Scotland that are considered ‘remote’...

28.11.2024 6

James Mcenaney

The questions over Higher History marking saga just won't stop coming

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Pretty much since this year’s exam results were released, we’ve been reporting...

14.11.2024 7

James Mcenaney

I took an expert to a STEM event. Here's what happened. I needed an expert, but not a doctor or a computer engineer or even an astronaut...

Sometimes what you really need is an expert opinion, and there’s nothing like diving into an area of intense specialism to help you reach that...

07.11.2024 3

James Mcenaney

Is real education reform now out of reach - at least until after the next election? Education writer James McEnaney looks back over the latest attempts to reform Scottish education and asks what happens next.

Is real education reform now out of reach – at least until after the next election? Back in June 2021, the Scottish Government told us that a...

02.11.2024 4

James Mcenaney

I complained about education coverage then got the chance to do something about it I was pretty open when I started this job that the goal was to make things better. For years I had complained about the quantity and quality of coverage of Scottish education in the mainstream press, and now we were being given the chance to change the equation.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Today is an important day for the education team at The Herald. My colleague...

31.10.2024 9

James Mcenaney

Higher History exam marking fiasco is worse than it appears It has now been more than two months since The Herald first reported on what has become the latest in a seemingly endless line of SQA scandals.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. It has now been more than two months since The Herald first reported on what has...

24.10.2024 10

James Mcenaney

Education money going abroad? Well, Jenny Gilruth has more sitting in a drawer As The Herald reported yesterday, the Scottish Government has announced plans to invest millions of pounds supporting inclusive education in sub-Saharan Africa.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. As The Herald reported yesterday, the Scottish Government has announced plans to...

17.10.2024 4

James Mcenaney

The ridiculous and absurd saga of trying to accurately mark a History exam It’s hard to see any viable and fair solution other than a remark on Higher History exam papers. But what else is new?

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. The ongoing problems with the SQA and Higher History are now becoming completely...

10.10.2024 7

James Mcenaney

We spent weeks researching Scotland's universities - but there's much more work to do In this weeks' education newsletter, James McEnaney reflects on The Herald's most recent impact series, which focused on the country's university system.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week The Herald ran our latest impact series, and this time we got to have a proper look at some of the...

03.10.2024 3

James Mcenaney

Language teaching has just got even smaller as institution axes courses This isn’t just about school structures and pedagogy, or financial constraints; it is the consequence of something cultural that desperately needs to be confronted.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Towards the end of 2023, language teaching in Scotland became a big news story....

26.09.2024 7

James Mcenaney

The progress on education reform – has it all been a waste? The government’s approach is pretty much exactly what I would be doing if I wanted to look like I was reforming things while actually working to prevent change as much as possible.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. For years now, the Scottish Government has been promising to reform Scottish...

19.09.2024 1

James Mcenaney

The Scottish Government finally got something right on education The Scottish Government has gotten a lot wrong with education but, on this matter, they're right.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. The Scottish Government has gotten a lot wrong when it comes to education in this...

12.09.2024 3

James Mcenaney

The money was finally found to end colleges dispute... but from where? “Members cannot come to this chamber and rattle off a list of demands… without in any way identifying how they would be funded. That is reckless.”

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. “Members cannot come to this chamber and rattle off a list of demands… without...

05.09.2024 5

James Mcenaney

It's always good to remember that there's more to education than exam results Our education writer reflects on attending a different sort of school awards ceremony.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. One of the good things about having a newsletter is that I can pretty much write...

29.08.2024 2

James Mcenaney

Teachers are blowing the whistle on the SQA – but the government doesn’t want to hear When TES Scotland asked the SQA about the falling pass rate for Higher History they were told that there was nothing wrong with the exam paper – there had just been a “drop in learners’ performance”.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. You will, I’m sure, already have seen lots about the 2024 exam results. The...

22.08.2024 1

James Mcenaney

Is the closure of two private schools something to worry about? It is not at all clear that Kilgraston or Cedars would have survived for much longer. But whatever the reasons behind them, it is undeniably the case that Scotland has seen two private schools announce closure in the same week.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. This week, we’ve been reporting that two of Scotland’s private schools are closing...

16.08.2024 2

James Mcenaney

No, exam results are not ‘back to normal’ – they’re worse Some people say things aren’t so bad, and that results have simply returned to the levels that we saw pre-pandemic. Is that really true?

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. There’s only one big story in Scottish education this week – the publication of...

08.08.2024 3

James Mcenaney

Young people have once again been failed by a system getting 'back to normal'

So here we are again: another exam results day, another SQA shambles. This morning, nearly 150,000 students across the country woke up to await...

06.08.2024 1

James Mcenaney

What if the exam appeals system is just a sham? With exam results coming up, we don’t know what is going to happen with the results themselves. But we do know a few things about the appeals system.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. It’s been a quiet few weeks on the education front, with staff and pupils...

01.08.2024 1

Categories

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Popular

If only schools were as transparent and co-operative as prisons...

James Mcenaney

Brace yourselves for the confected outrage over new sex education guidance Tomorrow, the Scottish Government is going to publish something that will, almost without doubt, attract not just quite a bit of attention, but also a significant helping of mindless and confected outrage.

James Mcenaney

Was education the defining issue of Nicola Sturgeon’s time in office? Education is the constant thread that runs through the nearly eight-and-a-half years that Sturgeon spent as first minister.

James Mcenaney

Russell Findlay is using false stats – here is the reality of early school leavers As I write this, we are somehow into day two of talking about the Tories’ suggestion that we lower the age at which people can leave school.

James Mcenaney

Major concerns over ASN in schools are no surprise - our series revealed huge issues An investigation by The Herald highlighted a crisis in ASN provision. Now Audit Scotland has warned that government and councils need to "fundamentally rethink" their approach.

James Mcenaney

Glasgow and its self-imposed secrecy of the education budget How much do you trust your local politicians? It’s not a trick question.

James Mcenaney

How many children will benefit from SNP/Greens free school meals deal? Good question The Scottish Government has finally secured a budget deal. I was of course very interested to read that it includes an expansion of free school meals provision.

James Mcenaney

The rebrand on offer isn’t good enough. The SQA must be broken up.

James Mcenaney

I don't normally watch Holyrood committees... but this one was an exception I’ll be honest, I don’t spend a huge amount of my working week watching the broadcasts from Holyrood committees. But yesterday I made an exception and it was definitely the right choice.

James Mcenaney

Of course I miss teaching. How could I not? Education specialist James McEnaney explores how a visit to a local school made him think back to his own time in the classroom.

James Mcenaney

We want to tell stories from all over Scotland, but we need your help Education specialist James McEnaney explains why issues that seem niche or strictly local can be important national stories.

James Mcenaney

These education stories remind us to keep looking beyond the central belt In the final Lessons to Learn column of 2024, education specialist James McEnaney revisits two stories from so-called 'remote' parts of Scotland.

James Mcenaney

It's 2024: Surely young people have the right to their own beliefs? Some people, it seems, are entirely unaware that we’re living in 2024, and they made that very clear earlier this week.

James Mcenaney

Our series shows that we are certainly not getting it right for every child Over the course of this week we’ve been running a special on additional support needs (ASN) in schools and asking if we really are ‘getting it right for every child’?

James Mcenaney

The SNP announced a new "ASN plan" for schools... but what if it doesn't exist? Within a few hours, a key budget proposals had already started to fall apart.

James Mcenaney

How a disastrous committee appearance confirmed that the SQA needs new leadership The exam board's chief executive appeared at the education committee alongside education secretary Jenny Gilruth. It did not go well.

James Mcenaney

James Mcenaney

The questions over Higher History marking saga just won't stop coming

James Mcenaney

I took an expert to a STEM event. Here's what happened. I needed an expert, but not a doctor or a computer engineer or even an astronaut...

James Mcenaney

Is real education reform now out of reach - at least until after the next election? Education writer James McEnaney looks back over the latest attempts to reform Scottish education and asks what happens next.

James Mcenaney

James Mcenaney

Higher History exam marking fiasco is worse than it appears It has now been more than two months since The Herald first reported on what has become the latest in a seemingly endless line of SQA scandals.

James Mcenaney

Education money going abroad? Well, Jenny Gilruth has more sitting in a drawer As The Herald reported yesterday, the Scottish Government has announced plans to invest millions of pounds supporting inclusive education in sub-Saharan Africa.

James Mcenaney

The ridiculous and absurd saga of trying to accurately mark a History exam It’s hard to see any viable and fair solution other than a remark on Higher History exam papers. But what else is new?

James Mcenaney

We spent weeks researching Scotland's universities - but there's much more work to do In this weeks' education newsletter, James McEnaney reflects on The Herald's most recent impact series, which focused on the country's university system.

James Mcenaney

Language teaching has just got even smaller as institution axes courses This isn’t just about school structures and pedagogy, or financial constraints; it is the consequence of something cultural that desperately needs to be confronted.

James Mcenaney

The progress on education reform – has it all been a waste? The government’s approach is pretty much exactly what I would be doing if I wanted to look like I was reforming things while actually working to prevent change as much as possible.

James Mcenaney

The Scottish Government finally got something right on education The Scottish Government has gotten a lot wrong with education but, on this matter, they're right.

James Mcenaney

The money was finally found to end colleges dispute... but from where? “Members cannot come to this chamber and rattle off a list of demands… without in any way identifying how they would be funded. That is reckless.”

James Mcenaney

It's always good to remember that there's more to education than exam results Our education writer reflects on attending a different sort of school awards ceremony.

James Mcenaney

Teachers are blowing the whistle on the SQA – but the government doesn’t want to hear When TES Scotland asked the SQA about the falling pass rate for Higher History they were told that there was nothing wrong with the exam paper – there had just been a “drop in learners’ performance”.

James Mcenaney

Is the closure of two private schools something to worry about? It is not at all clear that Kilgraston or Cedars would have survived for much longer. But whatever the reasons behind them, it is undeniably the case that Scotland has seen two private schools announce closure in the same week.

James Mcenaney

No, exam results are not ‘back to normal’ – they’re worse Some people say things aren’t so bad, and that results have simply returned to the levels that we saw pre-pandemic. Is that really true?

James Mcenaney

Young people have once again been failed by a system getting 'back to normal'

James Mcenaney

What if the exam appeals system is just a sham? With exam results coming up, we don’t know what is going to happen with the results themselves. But we do know a few things about the appeals system.

James Mcenaney