For a country that used to be renowned for our education system what on Earth has gone wrong with us?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...t-ever-rating/

Too much tinkering around the edges or not enough real thought put into it over the last ten years?

Too much focus on constitutional whinging and not enough time spent on running the country.

Having 'flagship' policies that are only any good for people who do make it to university, rather than working to help get all school children has a lot to do with it too. Oh, and voting with the Tories to refuse the opportunity to raise funding for education is why it's not going to get better any time soon.

It's even worse now as Cross Country are ending tge Aberdeen to Penzance services in the new year. Currently Britain's longest rail route taking in a number of major cities. Before any Nat kicks in about English companies what do you think will happen to these services after independence?

Not enough thought out I would suggest.

Notice very few regular posters appearing after these results published!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-west-38229169


From Blue Streak to Yellow Streak I guess..

Its kind of hard to argue against facts like these ones. I suppose they are belatedly using these figures to say they are doing something. John Swinney saying that they point to the fact that fundamental changes are required.

I imagine this will be brought up at FMQs this week for the usual he said she said slanging match that resembles a mini Westminster PMQ.

Another interesting survey.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politi..._finds_survey/

More Scots SNP supporters seem to have backed Brexit than Scots supporters of other parties. As the SNP support in the country approaches 50% of the electorate then 37% of them will be a far greater number than 37% of Labour supporters.

I also see that some of our more extreme nationalist sites are dismissing the latest Poll which showed a drop in support for independence because too mane English folk were sampled. Along the lines of only the true Scot votes for independence.

Whilst you might actually be right the survey in question is actually over the whole of the UK. There's no guarantee that the Leave vote in Scotland was the same as in the whole of the UK. This is why it's kind of essential to actually provide a link to source material.

http://www.natcen.ac.uk/news-media/p...eu-referendum/

http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/131922...final-web2.pdf

There's no actual break down of the vote in Scotland.

Well things have certainly changed since Abellio took over. No guarantee you'll get on if you don't book in advance but they'll try their best.

I notice Scotland's 15 year olds are the best of the UK countries for maths and reading.

Also..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37826634

"We need to look at what was happening in schools when the students who were tested in 2015 began their education."

And what was happening in schools 10 years ago is likely to be the result of policy measures implemented 20 years ago."

Basically it's doomed as a passenger airport.

Prior to the referendum there was a similar survey from YouGov suggesting Scottish Nats were far more likely to back to leave than Unionist party supporters.

And how sad that scottish politics has become divided on Nationalist and Unionist lines. What a fantastic force for good the SNP have been.

Will Mr Yusaf be sacked?

For a Road Traffic offence? Why on earth would he be sacked?

I suspect it'll be doomed as a spaceport as well. Question for Scotland is how much more than the £1 paid for the airport will get poured into this 'flagship' venture. It's passenger figures must make depressing reading for it's owners though.

Because he is a minister who is nominally in charge of Transport.

I presume from your reply that you think driving without insurance is OK?

Uninsured drivers are a major reason insurance premiums are sky high. As Transport Minister you would expect him to comply fully with Road traffic law especially being a minister in Government that seems he'll bent on thumping down on motorists for even the slightest speeding infractions.

Should have taken the train !

Yes in the middle of a built up area, these things have a habit of blowing up on or shortly after take off plenty space adjacent to Edinburgh Airport or Hollyrood Park.

Transport minister caught with no insurance, definitely should be sacked!

It isn't just Scotland it is the UK as a whole

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38157811


Too much paperwork and box ticking for government statistics may be one aspect , not enough discipline, too many changes to education procedures and swapping around what is and isn't this years pet project. They need to settle on something and stick with it , the simple fact that we are slipping further down that list does it not maybe tell them that the way things were done years ago was possibly better and did not need constant change by each new broom that took over ?

But something significant has happened in the past few years because we used to be 6th in the developed world and 2nd in Europe , we are now way down at 15.

Am I right in presuming Education is a devolved power?

Funding comes from the UK treasury Grant, Holyrood is then responsible for managing the funds and running the Scottish Education system. Though no UK constituent country is doing well as we have fallen way down the global list.

Some more than others it would seem.

But beneath that there are individual councils who organise education at a local level. Notably on the news this week was Aberdeen schools getting the kind of lessons in weapons awareness that the local council shamefully rejected as being an unnecessary interference before the fatal stabbing of Bailey Gwynne.