The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
SNP under attack over education report delay
Pressure is mounting on the Scottish Government to publish a review of Scotland’s education system now to aid pupils’ recovery from the pandemic.
A draft of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) report has been completed but publication has been delayed until June, after the elections.
Several politicians have told The Courier that knowing the results now would help children in Tayside and Fife who have lost time in school due to the pandemic, and have accused the government of deferring publication for political gain.
The OECD is analysing the Curriculum for Excellence, the national curriculum followed by Scotland’s nursery, primary and secondary schools for the last decade.
Its last review in 2015 found that a fifth of schools were rated only satisfactory and found declining achievement in maths.
The report’s publication, originally scheduled for this month, was put back last year but it has emerged that a draft is ready and it is understood it will be presented to ministers on March 3.
Last week, cross-party MSPS won a vote calling on the government to immediately release any findings already delivered to minsters by the OECD.
Since then, North East MSP Bill Bowman has accused Education Secretary John Swinney of “running scared” of the verdict the report delivers on the SNP’S record on education.
He said: “This report is sitting on Mr Swinney’s desk right now but it is clear he doesn’t want to be transparent with voters ahead of the election.
“The Scottish Conservatives have demanded this report is published immediately and secured cross-party support for this in Parliament. If the SNP refuse to do so, it
is typical of their arrogant attitude.
“I am also supporting our party’s proposals to set up an immediate and urgent national catch-up and tutoring scheme to avoid a lost generation of pupils, including many in Dundee and Angus who have had to endure such disruption.”
His Conservative colleague for Mid Scotland and Fife, Dean Lockhart, said: “It is damning that the SNP refuse to publish this crucial report.
“Especially at this time when its contents could help inform the desperately needed national plan that would support pupils, teachers and schools across Fife as they try to catch up after the massive disruptions they have endured.”
The Conservatives’ education spokeswoman on Fife Council, Councillor
Kathleen Leslie, also accused Mr Swinney of running scared ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May.
She said: “What exactly are they hiding from parents, teachers and pupils?
“Additionally, we urgently need a national catch-up plan and a tutoring scheme to prevent a lost generation of pupils who have had schooling
disrupted for nearly a year now.
“The SNP pretend that education is their number one priority when they are busy focusing on drafting plans for another reckless independence referendum.”
During last week’s Holyrood debate, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the review had been delayed by the pandemic and that the report would be published “when the OECD decides that it should be published”.
She also said the preliminary review was provided to the government purely for accuracy checking, allowing stakeholders an opportunity to “inform the final report”.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The OECD has been engaging virtually with stakeholders over the last few months
and have met with a wide range of education bodies as well as undertaking virtual school visits.
“They will be holding an engagement event in March, where they will share emerging messages with stakeholders, providing a further opportunity for key partners and practitioners in Scotland to inform the final report, which will be published in June 2021.
“The OECD’S independent review is conducted by their own analysts and international experts. They decide how to do their work and which evidence to take.
“Their approach to considering evidence, engaging with stakeholders and the preparation of the report follows the OECD’S tried and tested methodology for assessments like this.”
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He doesn’t want to be transparent with voters
The family of a teenager recovering from a severe brain injury is fundraising to thank doctors and nurses for saving his life.
Kieran Lamond, 15, from Blairgowrie fell off his bike while cycling home from his local shop in October.
He was given emergency surgery at Ninewells Hospital and put on life support.
However, the Blairgowrie High School pupil is now making “amazing” progress in the children’s ward, and his family are looking to raise some money to help the hospital buy some contactless thermometers as a way of saying thank you.
Step-mum Nicola Lamond said: “Kieran is doing amazing, he is getting on really well.
“He is speaking now and has little twitches on his left side – there is not a lot of movement but he is getting physiotherapy twice a day.
“He also now has a tube into his stomach rather than through his nose for his medicine and he can eat pureed food too.
“Kieran went from ICU to high dependency and now he is on the children’s ward, which is one step closer to home.
“He really wants to come home now because he is fed up, but he needs to be in the hospital for his therapy.
“It will be a good while before he can come home.”
“He has not had any contact with his sisters, they can only speak to him over Facetime because of Covid-19.
“Our four-year-old cries every night for him and there is nothing we can do just now.
“It is also his youngest sister’s birthday this week and we can’t celebrate with Kieran in person, which is a shame, but we can celebrate everything properly when he gets home.”
It is the second time a child of the family has been saved by Ninewells staff.
Kieran’s sister Arianna became severely ill in 2016 when she was just two days old.
“I just want to give something back to the hospital because this is not the first time they have helped our family,” said Nicola.
“They saved Kieran’s youngest sister’s life when she was just a baby and I want them to know how much we appreciate all they have done for us.
“She ended up being diagnosed with genetic epilepsy and the hospital saved her life too.
“Without them she would not be here either.”
Nicola has set up a Gofundme page and is aiming to raise £500 to buy the contactless thermometers.
She added: “We have noticed, especially in the children’s ward, they are still using ear thermometers.
“Recently I bought a contactless thermometer because I have five children at home and I want to make sure they are safe from Covid-19, because we have had it.
“It is the best thing I have ever bought and I think the hospital would benefit from them so much.
“Someone like Kieran doesn’t like the thermometer going into his ear because it is uncomfortable.
“If we can buy a few contactless thermometers it would be easier to take younger children’s temperatures in the children’s ward, and also in ICU and the Covid-19 part of the hospital.
“A contactless thermometer would also mean less physical contact between staff and patients which would be good during the pandemic.
Kieran’s former school, Perth Grammar, also donated a Nintendo Switch device for him to play with in hospital
“They also have more funds for him to buy himself some new trainers and clothes, which is absolutely amazing,” Nicola added.