Educayshun

It seems a long ago when the Scottish Qualifications Authority got itself into deep trouble with exams. It seemed that it just couldn’t get its sums right.

So a huge Parliamentary investigation took place. Four substantial reports were issued. Top people left the organisation. And a Parliamentary Bill was laid before the Scottish Parliament.

It illustrates very well some of the MSP’s work in Edinburgh.

Had this all happened when Westminster ran things it would have a ‘five-day-wonder’. But with 41 Scottish journalists accredited to Parliament and hovering at MSP’s elbows it has run and run. And quite properly so.

The 2nd of May is the end of the road as far as Parliament is concerned – we hope! The passage of the SQA Bill into law will allow the new Board and Chief Executive to get on with the job.

But this wasn’t my only brush with ‘educayshun’ this week.

I had a visit to the Headmaster of Fraserburgh Academy where I learnt of their achievements. It was much different from my time at my local school.

The students take a far bigger role in school life and it struck me as I looked at photographs in the lobby that the range of activities is very wide.

And I had a quick meeting at Heriot-Watt University with students I have been working with. I can only do a few hours over many months but it is well worth meeting the people who may be the next generation of community leaders.

They were presenting their case studies for their lecturers’ approval and I had been invited along.

One study was on outsourcing. What we would call in public service – privatisation. And they concluded after quite extensive research that sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not. But that it was never easy.

Perhaps I should send them along to talk to our Justice Minister about the proposal he has on his desk for private prisons.

Inspection

Just as a schools, there used to be periodic inspections so the Chief Inspector of Prisons has just completed a look at Peterhead Prison. And it couldn’t have been more timely.

Now Clive Fairweather, for that is his name, is not someone with whom I would wish to disagree. He used to be an officer in the SAS. And he was part of the team that went in and ended the seige in the Libyian Embassy in the 1960s.

So when he says that the arguments for closing Peterhead are deeply flawed, we should listen. But more to the point, government ministers have to listen to.

With each passing week the arguments for our prison grow stronger. The Prison Officers Partners are very actively gathering signatures for a petition to Parliament. Churches and businesses are ‘on-side’.

In Edinburgh we almost certainly have a majority of MSPs supporting us. And from all political parties.

So it has been another educayshunal week at Holyrood.