By the numbers: ICT spending (16 November)

- Shiny new laptops and iPads are just a diversion. These devices cannot teach pupils how to read and write. Too many pupils leave primary school functionally illiterate and so cannot properly access the secondary curriculum.

gnulinux

In my own time - Kate Farrell (16 November)

- Kate, I can scarcely believe what you’ve just admitted - that while cycling you listen to auditory input. Have you no thought for the concerns of the manic motorists as they haplessly run you off the road in their near-empty juggernauts? As for Shazam, I’ll be checking that out, as it sounds perfect for pub quiz music rounds.

mick12

Is this a mission impossible? (16 November)

- The answer, as I found out at an SQA conference, is two-fold.

1. Some authorities are doing eight subjects over S34 for minimal change. They claim that “eight Nationals” is broad. The rumour is that they will reclassify N45 in S3 as the BGE soon, despite doing the same work.

2. Some schoolsauthorities are doing the BGE in S3 but are quietly starting Nationals 4 and 5 to allow for a more clinical selection process. The phrase used is “we are doing eight subjects but are honouring the spirit of the BGE”.

If anyone is doing the BGE honestly, I believe they can only do five subjects as my reading and interpretation of the support material is that a course should be 180 hours.

cochrane1964.