Oor Nicola Sturgeon thread.

[oneteaminglasgow]

2 minutes ago, Baxter Parp said:

Are you saying the Scottish Government should meddle in the independent process of awarding qualifications? 

While this is the case, I can’t see any situation where the SNP aren’t blamed for this by the opposition parties and the media. Might be prudent for someone to have a quick chat.

[Baxter Parp]

1 minute ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

While this is the case, I can’t see any situation where the SNP aren’t blamed for this by the opposition parties and the media. Might be prudent for someone to have a quick chat.

The opposition parties and media will of course treat news of this "quick chat" fairly and honestly and it won't turn out to be worse than doing nothing, oh no.

[John Lambies Doos]

It falls into too little social solidarity and political education. You can't compare Scotland now to Germany or Norway (or anywhere in Europe) in the 60s and 70s.
I do think that there is more of a left in England than in Scotland now due to material circumstances. We are insulated from a lot of the social issues that impact people in urban areas in England, housing is obviously the biggest difference. 
 

You really hate Scotland, don't u

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

I love the idea of looking at every UK election since 1997, a steady drift from the centre to a now entrenched right, sagely nodding and thinking "yes, here is where the left is truly alive!"

 

[Ludo*1]

'#ResignSturgeon' is trending on Twitter.

[renton]

I suppose the issue is had the SQA not applied the moderation to the grades, then they'd be accused of artificially pushing grades up to wipe out the attainment gap in the year before an election...

[AUFC90]

HB is a unionist, britnat fanny. Always has been.

I won't be voting for the SNP post independence unless they change their spots in the meantime. Pre-independence ? They've got my vote. Something blubbering right wing fannies like HB will never understand.

[strichener]

39 minutes ago, renton said:

I suppose the issue is had the SQA not applied the moderation to the grades, then they'd be accused of artificially pushing grades up to wipe out the attainment gap in the year before an election...

Evidence of flaws in the moderation process would need to be found.  It is going unreported that this moderation happens every year.

[Dunning1874]

53 minutes ago, renton said:

I suppose the issue is had the SQA not applied the moderation to the grades, then they'd be accused of artificially pushing grades up to wipe out the attainment gap in the year before an election...

While this is true, that option wouldn't have involved fucking over pupils for the prior performance of their schools which they have absolutely no control over, inevitably doing far more damage to pupils in poorer areas.

It's not about managing the political story, it's about what's right and wrong and this utter shambles is indisputably wrong.

[Caro-Kann]

43 minutes ago, Dunning1874 said:

While this is true, that option wouldn't have involved fucking over pupils for the prior performance of their schools which they have absolutely no control over, inevitably doing far more damage to pupils in poorer areas.

It's not about managing the political story, it's about what's right and wrong and this utter shambles is indisputably wrong.

SQA (and by association Scottish Government) were doomed for a bad news day whatever way this played. The public rage story could easily have been about the qualifications being devalued had the pass rates shot up by 10% compared to previous years. What's key to the students is that the appeals process functions well so that those with evidence that they have been harshly graded are accessed fairly and a crucial factor in this is that there will be no charge to the schools for appeals this year. Of course it is unfortunate the distress caused to these students and I think the SQA made a mistake not accepting completed coursework where available as part of the assessment, but these are unprecedented circumstances.

I get the feeling that the same ones moaning about say a pupil from Braidhurst not getting grades for medical school as they got 5As in prelims and 2As3Bs would be the same ones moaning that said student got a place with 3As2Bs being from a SIMD20 postcode over someone with 5As from Glasgow Academy living in Milngavie.

[Monkey Tennis]

9 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

While this is true, that option wouldn't have involved fucking over pupils for the prior performance of their schools which they have absolutely no control over, inevitably doing far more damage to pupils in poorer areas.

It's not about managing the political story, it's about what's right and wrong and this utter shambles is indisputably wrong.

Genuine question:  How should this have been organised? 

I have reservations about the entire process, but for the life of me, I honestly don't have a better idea.

[Gordon EF]

10 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

While this is true, that option wouldn't have involved fucking over pupils for the prior performance of their schools which they have absolutely no control over, inevitably doing far more damage to pupils in poorer areas.

It's not about managing the political story, it's about what's right and wrong and this utter shambles is indisputably wrong.

I'm trying not to be uncritical of the SNP but what would have been a better method?

the appeals process is there and you'd imagine that the top performing pupils at low performing schools will be th emian beneficieries of that. If that process catches and corrects the bulk of the main unfairnesses, I'd say they've got through this pretty much as well as can be expected.

Everyone knew that teachers were going to overestimate. Let the revision process drag that down to the norm and let the review process push back up any pupils who obviously got stung by that.

Edited August 5, 2020 by Gordon EF

[Caledonian1]

Lets not forget that pass rates are higher than previous years - so it would appear that more have benefitted from the system than lost out (and those who feel hard done by can go through the appeals process)  There is a lassie on the BBC website saying her future is ruined as she got straight A's in prelims then downgraded in actual results - well wouldnt she be better talking to her teachers and putting forward a strong appeal case rather than going greeting to the press?

 

I really don't understand the faux outrage - all very political in my opinion

[sparky88]

2 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Genuine question:  How should this have been organised? 

I have reservations about the entire process, but for the life of me, I honestly don't have a better idea.

It will be interesting to see the reaction in a few weeks when the English results are out- I would imagine the exact same thing will happen. 

[Suspect Device]

From another forum.

The teachers estimates are far too high and needed moderation. There will always be folk who have been downgraded unfairly but hopefully the appeals process will take care of that.

 

 

[ayrmad]

23 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

From another forum.

The teachers estimates are far too high and needed moderation. There will always be folk who have been downgraded unfairly but hopefully the appeals process will take care of that.

 

 

Not surprised, some would appear to prefer almost all to get A's, "we'd rather devalue some well deserving kids efforts than upset some lesser light" seems to be the position of some,crackers.

[DukDukGoose]

On 04/08/2020 at 17:34, Detournement said:

Not supporting the SNP plans for independence doesn't equate to supporting the Union or the Tory Party.

That's simplistic idiocy. 

It literally is that simple. If you don't support indepence then you support the Union. You're supporting the status quo.

On 04/08/2020 at 17:37, Detournement said:

The UK is a state. That's just reality. 

The problem with people like you is that you can't actually conceive that an independent Scotland could easily be worse than the UK. 

It could easily be worse. It could easily be better. It could easily be slightly different. 

The difference is we'd be governed by the party the majority of our country voted for. It's really that simple.

[Detournement]

20 hours ago, Suspect Device said:

From another forum.

The teachers estimates are far too high and needed moderation. There will always be folk who have been downgraded unfairly but hopefully the appeals process will take care of that.

 

 

The teachers were assessing on the basis of work done so far not trying to guess who would have the best study period in the lead up to the exam.

Exams favour more affluent pupils. In a year without exams the SNP could have removed that inequality from the system. They chose to retain it. 

[Gordon EF]

14 minutes ago, Detournement said:

The teachers were assessing on the basis of work done so far not trying to guess who would have the best study period in the lead up to the exam.

Exams favour more affluent pupils. In a year without exams the SNP could have removed that inequality from the system. They chose to retain it. 

Could also have given everyone As and then there would be no inequality IMO.

[Suspect Device]

1 hour ago, Gordon EF said:

Could also have given everyone As and then there would be no inequality IMO.

It would have met their stated goal of reducing the attainment gap.

Might not have been entirely fair though.