@enlightenscot
Scotland's independent non-party think tank A public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all & more effective public services. Enlighten is independent of all political parties.
Research director @alipayne.bsky.social has contributed to @hepi-news.bsky.social's Scottish week reflecting that without an education system firing on all cylinders, the many other problems facing Scotland cannot be fixed
“Pupils are now performing more poorly in physics, and the STEM subjects more broadly, compared to other subjects than historically was the case"
Read the full blog from
@stuartphysics.bsky.social
www.enlighten.scot/lessons-lear...
A blog post for @enlightenscot.bsky.social about the physics curriculum and its assessment. @drewburrett.bsky.social @physicsdrew.bsky.social @andrewkbailey13.bsky.social @colinmcgill.bsky.social @mrdissent.bsky.social @mrdegsy.bsky.social @brucenextlevel.bsky.social @lynnej0nes.bsky.social
This afternoon at #FMQs @stephenkerr.bsky.social has a question on Curriculum for Excellence and highlights the Commission on School Reform's recent manifesto.
Read the manifesto in full here: www.enlighten.scot/publication/...
“when clinicians are empowered to redesign care pathways, streamline processes & adopt evidence-based efficiencies, more patients can be treated without compromising quality”
Nigel Kirkpatrick from Newmedica writes for #NHS2048
www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/effi...
Tomorrow @parliament.scot will debate the Scottish Government's record on school education. Many of the problems, as well as policy recommendations, were outlined in the Commission on School Reform's manifesto published yesterday. Read it in full here: www.enlighten.scot/publication/...
The Commission on School Reform has published its 2026 manifesto.
It calls for a return to a knowledge-based curriculum & offers proposals to strengthen academic standards, close the attainment gap & improve support for pupils with additional needs
www.enlighten.scot/publication/...
New article:
Paul Argyle McDonald warns that maths curriculum is suffering from a "structural collapse" due to "an educational roadmap that prioritises doing and calculating while largely omitting the why".
Read his full article here: www.enlighten.scot/the-architec...
Paul McGinness of @stormid.com writes for the blog on the potential of AI to reduce administrative burden in the public sector & increase productivity.
Read the full article here: www.enlighten.scot/automate-tas...
Join us on Mon 26 Feb for an online discussion on exclusive new polling in Scotland & Wales & what it might mean.
@profnicolamcewen.bsky.social
Charlie Buckley @moreincommonuk.bsky.social
Dewi Knight @policywise.bsky.social @chrisdeerin.bsky.social
www.enlighten.scot/event/online...
"Walking is one of the most inclusive and accessible forms of physical activity"
Ian McCall of @walkingscotland.bsky.social writes for #NHS2048 on the positive impact walking and wheeling can have as part of a greater focus on preventing illness
www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/walk...
Katherine Crawford of Age Scotland writes for #NHS2048 on the urgent need to address the problems facing social care. She highlights that while "many, if not most, of us will need social care at some point in our lives"..."it is not a political priority."
www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/scot...
Penny Halliday writes for the Blog about A Listening Ear's call to follow Manchester City Council's lead and remove council tax for those in their last year of life. Read her full article here: www.enlighten.scot/the-bucket-l...
"rarely even mentioned in this debate are the potentially harmful implications of shorter degrees for schools & for school leavers"
Prof Lindsay Paterson on the impact for schools from cutting degrees from 4 years to 3.
www.enlighten.scot/three-year-d...
"If we want to improve attainment, close equity gaps & develop confident, capable mathematicians the work must begin in our primary classrooms"
Primary school teachers Holly Drummond & Kirsten Fenton write for the blog on improving maths teaching.
www.enlighten.scot/maths-journa...
A powerful read from Sean Duffy @thewisegroup.bsky.social on the need from real and implemented public service reform in Scotland.
www.enlighten.scot/scotlands-pu...
The Scottish Government's consultation on the future of Council tax closes this week. Read our submission here:
www.enlighten.scot/devolvingsco...
In a thought-provoking and timely article, Stewart McDonald argues that for too long "defence and security have been kept at arm’s length in Scotland’s devolved politics". Read the full article here:
www.enlighten.scot/its-time-for...
"why don’t we do more? Is it because dementia & caring affect women more than men? Or because women’s unpaid labour has long been treated as an inexhaustible resource-natural, expected, & therefore invisible"
Greg Stevenson's powerful piece for #NHS2048
www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/the-...
Research director @alipayne.bsky.social writes for @thescottishsun.co.uk on why the current HE funding system is unsustainable, and why we need a graduate payment.
Up-front fees can be avoided & tuition free-at-the-point-of-use maintained if we act asap. www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1582007...
An anonymous secondary teacher writes for our blog on the problems facing school education in Scotland. Read their full article here:
www.enlighten.scot/thoughts-of-...
Online Event: Monday 26th Jan at 1pm
Join us with for a discussion looking at the future of colleges in Scotland with Gavin Donoghue from Colleges Scotland and Angela Cox from Ayrshire College in conversation with @chrisdeerin.bsky.social
www.enlighten.scot/event/a-disc...
Catch up on our fascinating & informative discussion about Scottish & Welsh devolution in partnership with @policywise.bsky.social. Our panel included Adam Price MS, @kezdugdale.bsky.social, Lee Waters MS, and Paul McLennan MSP. Chaired by @chrisdeerin.bsky.social
www.enlighten.scot/event/online...
Frank Gunn-Moore FRSB FRSE of @uniofstandrews.bsky.social writes for our #NHS2048 forum of the challenges and opportunities for Scotland in dementia research. Read his full article here: www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/grow...
We have a couple of great online events coming up this week - still time to sign up to attend. For more info www.enlighten.scot/events/ or email events@enlighten.scot
@chrisdeerin.bsky.social @policywise.bsky.social @graemeroy.bsky.social @kezdugdale.bsky.social @paulmclennanmsp.bsky.social
well worth reading on Scottish further and higher education. There are systemic problems, identified here, which the Scottish government review is explicitly not even going to go near.
We've published a new report today from Huw Morris and Des Mcnulty which calls for a radical rethink of the purpose and functioning of Scotland’s tertiary education sector.
Read the full report here: enlighten.scot/publication/where-next-for-scotlands-universities-and-colleges/
Ross Martin writes for the blog on the importance of regional economies. Read his full article here: www.enlighten.scot/scotlands-re...
New on the blog:
“As the Scottish political parties pull together their policy agendas and manifestos for the next Holyrood election they must put ending the nightmare of retail crime at the top of their priorities”
Ewan MacDonald-Russell on the worrying increase in retail crime.
Front page coverage today of the Commission on School Reform's worrying new report which highlights that only 39.5% of the S4 cohort achieved an A-C pass in Nat 5 maths. The report, including data tables, can be read here: www.enlighten.scot/publication/...