大象传媒

The results of Labour鈥檚 previous education plan is available today, a report from the Prince鈥檚 Trust and the Royal Bank of Scotland which indicates that one in five young people were not in work education or training.

Jack McConnell鈥檚 previous education plan (7 April, 2003)

鈥淥n education, the party is promising to tackle under-performance, if necessary through "direct intervention".
It also promised to enhance the role of head teachers, who would control 90% of school budgets.
Mr McConnell said Labour would recruit 2,500 more teachers, reform the curriculum, cutting assessment in the five to 14 programme and cut class sizes in English and Maths for the first two years of secondary school.鈥�

Jack McConnell鈥檚 new education plan (10 April, 2007)

鈥淓ducation would have "first call" on all extra spending by the Scottish Executive.鈥�
"To put Scotland first, we must put education first.鈥�

Which straw can we clutch which is most likely to lead us to believe that he will have any further success with the 2007 plan than he has had with the 2003 plan?

Can we have a report on your 2003 education plan Jack?

Peter in Fife put it succinctly, after 8 years of Jack and his pals, school leavers in Scotland are now far less able to reed, rite and spelll than any generation since WWI. Employers despair when school leavers can't even use spell check correctly. Jack talked about education today and increasing modern language teaching but under Labour over the past 8 years the number of teenagers taking French, German and Spanish to any exam standard has fallen by more than 15%, a "perfect solution" to aid Scotland take a full and active place in an EU of 25 nations. In the 1960s I was taught both French and German in primary school (within the state system). As for budgets how can Labour criticise anyone let alone the Tories or SNP when their parliament building with a budget of 拢40 million cost more than 拢340 million, the millenium dome cost almost 1 billion and the English olympics which wee Jack wholeheartedly supports has already gone from 拢2billion to 拢10 billion with 5 years to go.

And what a launch! Supported by the Beeb on tonight's after 10 news we get a full few minutes of McConnel surrounded by babes shoe-horned into Labour campaign T-Shirts with a promise of more funding for education.

All other parties get 10 seconds of moving pics with voice over. I hope the man with a stopwatch is making sure things balance out.

Fortunately for all other parties the Labour campaign is so painfully inept that the exploitation of those poor kids is likely to turn more voters off.

It was hardly an edifying vision, worse still was the vacuous "Education, education, education" focus. What's been happening these past 5 years Jack that you only now realise the mess our once proud education system has fallen into?

Skills Academies, now where have I heard that phrase before? I wonder where Jack got his inspiration from?

I believe Skills Academies or a type of vocational education is essential to produce a balanced workforce; the system which offers educational equality of opportunity for all may well be an educationalist鈥檚 nirvana but we need a reality check.
If we are to produce a balanced workforce from our schools we require training to be commensurate with those ideals; there is no point promoting the principle that everyone should get the chance to go to university when the reality is that at best less than 30% could be capable of presenting the abilities to complete courses in the serious subjects to be studied in the further education process.

Pupils who have limited abilities should not be forced into an education system where because of their shortcomings they will become the obvious targets for bullies; all pupils should be treated as individuals subsequently each should be educated at a level commensurate with their abilities.
It will not be music in the ears of some of our educationalists but some pupils will never progress beyond becoming capable of lifting heavy things; one fact is indisputable industry require individuals who can lift heavy things.

I believe proposals for Skills Academies have failed to impress teacher鈥檚 associations; teachers are employed to teach subjects which are deemed fitting to produce adequate skills for employment not to decide on which subjects should be taught. If teachers wish their voices recognised in this debate they should first show their credentials in the form of increased output success rates.

Teachers of the sixties and the seventies crossed the educational Rubicon and befriended their pupils effectively lowering themselves into the pupils peer group, then complain they cannot command the respect of their pupils or their parents.

It was in the sixties we had High Schools and Secondary Modern Schools; pupils were streamed and a balance of sorts was produced; today all these schools have been re-designated High Schools, all teaching the same curriculum.
We need cut the PC tape that binds politicians and educationalists we need to see the reality of those pupils presented for education and stream them accordingly; you will never make a silk purse out of a sow鈥檚 ear no matter how much money you throw at the problem.

I was about 90-seconds into what I had assumed was a party political broadcast for the Labour party last night...

...before of course realising it was another 'impartial' 大象传媒 feature.

I simply cannot believe the transparency of the mass media coverage of this campaign in Scotland - and the 大象传媒 is the working example in that regard. On the back of the pre-election polls [something the mass media *always* make much of pre-election] - there obviously seems to be some very real concern about how well the SNP seem to be doing.

Enough, therefore, to merit the 大象传媒 putting a [completely OTT] spin on the 'passionate' Labour campaign with its 'big' ideas and 'buoyant' progress.

Brian, I doubt I have ever seen you so fevered and passionate. To be clear, your coverage was quite, quite shameful. Cringe-a-second.

I wonder, are the 大象传媒 concerned at all with reporting on the pulse of what's happening in Scotland, pre-election? What the mood of the nation seems to be implying? What the Labour track record is? Haven't we already been here with Labour? Haven't we seen these education pledges before?

You know - you *can* do that - without suggesting out-and-out support for the SNP. Apparently remaining impartial with Labour/Lib-Dems/Tories - anyone other than the SNP - is something you simply cannot do?

Perhaps the 大象传媒 will emphasise the point that Alex Salmond is an 'economist' the next time the books SNP are judged? Maybe - just maybe - in the same manner we were constantly reminded - again - that Jack McConnell was previously a 'schoolteacher' [dontya know!?] when Labour reiterate those tired educational strategies.

In the morning we had Jack McConnell kissing tartan clad babies. No, seriously.

Last night we had Jack patting the backs and mingling with two-dozen schoolkids - shamefully adorned in Labour T-shirts. One with his thumbs up. Those poor bairns.

The others parties? A few secs each.

The SNP, in particular? A poorly lit, hastily taken 4-second shot of the party leaders standing in front of poster, with the *prime* camera angle in place to capture what looked like an industrial estate.

Can't begin to outline my disgust with the 大象传媒 and the Scottish press.

I hope the people of Scotland remember the last time we were here with Labour - and see through this biased, cowardly 'journalism'.

Here's a few sound bites to be going on with - oh, do remember that Labour are trailing the SNP with regards ongoing polls, national mood, leadership confidence etc

'...And with the Scots Labour leader in such buoyant form, one wondered whether, at that moment, he felt the hand of history upon his shoulder...'

'...The launch venue for Scottish Labour's manifesto was an apt one. Outside Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall stood the imposing statue of Donald Dewar, one of the architects of Scottish devolution, while inside members of the press gathered to see what fresh ideas Labour had for the next parliament. ...'

'...So, how about Labour鈥檚 launch? Well, it was, variously, passionate, intriguing and surreal. The passion? Jack McConnell promising to divert funding into education, obliging other departments to find efficiency savings to fund new initiatives...'

If anyone is any doubt about the elections coverage and the broad stance of the mass Scottish press, feel free to entertain yourselves over the coming weeks with every slice of negative spin the Labour party can publish.

Why, only last week - next to Labour's education pledges, I spent some quality time reading the Daily Record and it's intriguing feature on SNP candidate Angus MacNeil's'3-IN-BED TEEN SEX SCANDAL'.

They've tried their scaremongering [impending Al Qaeda attack, social ties between Scotland and England dissolving, the 'Balkanisation' of the UK etc] - now it's time to roll out and polish every other strategy they've failed to deliver in their time in office thus far.

Here we are again - the latest Labour' desire to ensure 'Building Scotland' - surprisingly three-weeks before an impending election. Let's instead look at their *years* in office thus far. Has Govan changed? Is poverty dented? Have the school score-cards risen? Do the people of Scotland see their will manifest in Trident? In the disbanded regiments? In their anti-nuclear stance? In Iraq?

More and more of the same.

See through the sound bites Scotland.

I'll be voting SNP because we haven't had an opportunity to at least give them a try. How can I condemn what has not transpired?

The Labour manifesto? - sorry, been here before...

...and I have nothing but contempt and ongoing concern for the cowardly and misleading press/broadcasting coverage.

Weirdly, the Greens and the Tories appear to be the ones getting squeezed, while the Lib Dems are getting a boost. Utterly inexplicable.

Brian is, of course, impeccably unbiassed and the best informed man in Scotland, but some of his colleagues

The aim? 鈥淭o engage with the local community, listen and act on their concerns.鈥�

It has been 5 years and 5 months since the First Minister took office, he has had all that time to talk and listen; it would seem from his actions and plans that the only words he heard or is interested in are about the regeneration of East End of Glasgow.
Whom did he seek council from for these plans, his constituents, Glasgow councillors, his wife?

This surely is one instance where Tony Blair鈥檚 hands seem clean, unless of course Jack has picked up a few tips from his Tony on his plan for the regeneration of South East London; sorry I meant to say the 2012 Olympics.

The promises of consultations have been made on many occasions, April 2003 and when the Scottish Parliament was homeless and peripatetic was another such occasion when we were delivered of this type promise; worse is the promise delivered during electioneering for these are only promises of mock consultation in an attempt to hold onto power.

During the sixties we had High Schools and Secondary Modern Schools; pupils were streamed and a balance of sorts was produced, the education system of that era produced adequate graduates, teachers, managers, tradesmen, etc.

All such methods of pupil streaming have gained a prohibition status, mainly from politicians, educationalists and the PC Brigade, they demand that all children are treated equally and have an equal chance of success; today all those secondary schools have been re-designated High Schools, all teaching the same curriculum.

We need a reality check, all pupils are not equal!

We need cut the PC tape that politicians and educationalists bound themselves with, we need to see the reality of those pupils presented for education and stream them accordingly.
I do not suggest we return to the education system of the sixties, what were require is a middle ground; there must be a reintroduction of vocational studies, if nothing else to let pupils get their hands dirty in work related routines, equally teachers must be honest with pupils, they will not all become managers.

At the other end of the scale there is little point in turning out graduates in flower arranging to pack the shelves in our local supermarkets; ultimately the quality of the pupil should be the governing factor; you will never make a silk purse out of a sow鈥檚 ear no matter how much money you throw at the problem.

I note no party to my knowledge is proposing to legislate in order that heterosexual couples should have equal rights of inheritance as do homosexual couples.

The rush to legislate clearly indicates the priorities of our politicians.

It is absolutely not fresh- in fact the neighbours are comlaining about the smell. It may be passion- but only that of the desperate self interest- of saving their jobs and keeping the cushy perks of office. To be led by Jack McConnell is, I will admit, surreal.
It is surely a healthy thing if labour is humbled badly on may 3rd. The Scottish establishment needs a wake up call. And if the, distinctly lacklustre, government is not up to scratch it should pay by being kicked out.
What is intriguing is just how low labour will go.