James McEnaney

1 week ago | heraldscotland.com | James McEnaney

Discussions of education improvement tend to focus on areas like curriculum and staffing, but outdoor spaces matter too. (Image: Lorne Gill) When we talk about improving Scottish education, we tend to focus on areas such as curriculum, staffing levels, and attainment statistics. Sometimes the conversation will also turn to matters such as additional support needs provision, classroom behaviour, and teachers’ class contact time.

2 weeks ago | heraldscotland.com | James McEnaney

Sign up for Lessons to Learn and get a weekly expert insight into Scottish education (Image: Derek McArthur) This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter. Depending on who you listen to, the Scottish education system can be a huge and ever-improving success, a catastrophic failure in continuous decline, and pretty much everything else in between. Sometimes these distinctions are strictly political.

2 weeks ago | heraldscotland.com | James McEnaney

Argyll and Bute Council is facing legal action from islanders over its decision to locate a new school in the north of the island instead of a central, accessible location. (Image: Rob Claxton-Ingham) Campaigners on the Isle of Mull have raised more than £30,000 in just four days as they pursue legal action against Argyll and Bute Council.

2 weeks ago | heraldscotland.com | James McEnaney

Jenny Gilruth and Pam Duncan-Glancy clashed during a session of the education committee. (Image: Newsquest) Today in the Scottish Parliament, education secretary Jenny Gilruth clashed with Scottish Labour education spokesperson over the state of Scottish schooling and the opportunities available to young people. Both made a number of specific claims as they ‘traded statistics’ and sought to defend their respective positions – but were their assertions true or false?

2 weeks ago | heraldscotland.com | James McEnaney |Garrett Stell

Natalie Don-Innes MSP told the Scottish Parliament that new guidelines would (Image: Supplied) Current guidance which has led to "miscommunications" with councils and questionable decisions around mothballing nurseries will likely remain in place until at least next academic year. Natalie Don-Innes, Scottish Government Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise has said that an important review of nursery mothballing policies still has no set timescale.