Category Archives: Education

Qually Folly

Posted on September 18, 2012 by davidsberry

Michael Gove has set the cat amongst the educational pigeons in England. By scrapping GCSEs and replacing them with a Baccalureat more common in Europe. Known in France colloquially as le bac, it is an academic qualification which French and international students … Continue reading →

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Costly Lessons

Posted on September 10, 2012 by davidsberry

Just back from a week wandering Appin, Morvern and Mull, I make no apology for having silenced this blog for a whole week. We all need a break but watching sea eagles bringing sudden death to the fish of Loch … Continue reading →

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Independent School; Private Politics

Posted on August 29, 2012 by davidsberry

Earlier this week there was a flurry of press around a Lloyds/TSB research detailing how fees for private schools had risen by a whopping 63% over the last decade. While I respect the motivation of parents who choose to shell … Continue reading →

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Some Candle!—Still Burning

Posted on August 5, 2012 by davidsberry

“She only acted according to the script we gave her
” —Ernesto Cardenal Exactly fifty years ago, when Marilyn Monroe died aged 36 of a sleeping pill overdose in 1962, I was—like Elton John at the time—just a kid. From age seven, I would … Continue reading →

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Disease in Common

Posted on July 20, 2012 by davidsberry

Those keen on Scotland becoming a normal country often cite other countries as examples for such a situation. Many serve well in this role—including affluent Norway who “separated” peacefully from Sweden just over a century ago and has been a … Continue reading →

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EIS empty vessels making a lot of noise

Posted on June 9, 2012 by davidsberry

EIS empty vessels making a lot of noise.

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Irrtumliche Weltanschauung

Posted on May 25, 2012 by davidsberry

A fascinating conversation flashed amongst the Twitterati yesterday on the unevenness of foreign  language teaching ability in Scottish primary schools, despite a recent move to introduce a second foreign language there. Let’s leave aside for a minute whether the Doric … Continue reading →

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It’s the Education, Stupid

Posted on May 22, 2012 by davidsberry

Politicians of all stripes seem ferally inclined to have a go at one another. But one area on which even they all agree is on the importance of education. And, having led the world in getting its broad citizenry into … Continue reading →

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Fun Isn’t Weather-Dependent

Posted on May 20, 2012 by davidsberry

After a record cold/wet April, May is bidding fair to make this the worst Spring in decades. Farmers are staring morosely at crops that, after a good start from a mild winter, have barely grown any in seven weeks. Blossoming … Continue reading →

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I’m All Right, Jock

Posted on April 20, 2012 by davidsberry

Peter Sellers fans—and readers already carrying a bus pass—may recall his merciless portrayal of “bruvvah” Fred Kite and his heroic antics at preventing upper-class twit Ian Carmichael from inadvertently causing efficiency among the work force of a munitions factory in … Continue reading →

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