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The Herald Scotland
22-05-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
SQA accused of 'slap in the face' to teachers
One teacher described the exam board's actions as 'a real slap in the face to those wanting to do the best for the young people in their class.' The country's biggest teaching union said that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) should have carried out 'proper consultation' with schools and urged them to 'think again' about the changes. The course updates were announced in the SQA's regular newsletter on 15 May and include the removal of an entire question paper from Higher Drama, the introduction of a prescribed text list for another, and alterations to exam questions and marking schemes at National 5 and Advanced Higher levels. According to one senior teacher who approached The Herald, this was the 'first notification' to schools that significant changes would be introduced and made mandatory for the 2025/26 academic year. Under a sub-heading of 'What you'll need to do differently', teachers were informed that they will have to select one of 15 prescribed texts for paper one of the exam. In addition, they were told: 'You'll also need to update your teaching notes and assessment materials to reflect the new marking instructions for both sections of the question paper.' The post confirmed that the updated course specifications and exemplar exam papers would be made available four days later on Monday 19 May. This material was published as planned on the SQA website. Most secondary schools in Scotland begin their new timetables in June once students have returned from exam leave, meaning that teachers have just a few weeks to reconstruct their courses to fit the new requirements. In cases where schools have not previously taught any of the new approved texts, class sets will have to be purchased and entirely new teaching materials developed. The EIS has told its members not to carry out unplanned additional work in order to accommodate 'last minute changes from the SQA". READ MORE: A spokesperson for the SQA insisted that the changes have been 'shaped by the thoughtful feedback shared by teachers, and the timing reflects what was important to them.' They also said that 'a range of resources' will be made available 'in the new session' in order to 'help bring clarity and confidence to the classroom". However, a senior teacher disputed these claims, telling The Herald that the SQA had carried out very limited engagement work and had not presented the proposed set text list to teacher to gather their opinions on the plays to be included. They added that the decision to impose the changes immediately creates an 'obvious workload issue' and financial challenges that the SQA should address. In addition to the logistical concerns being raised by teachers, the new set text list has also been described as disappointing and uninspired, with some arguing that it will make it more difficult for teachers to engage young people in the subject. The only women with work included as a set text are Shelagh Delaney (A Taste of Honey), Liz Lochhead (Dracula), Ena Lamont Stewart (Men Should Weep), Zinnie Harris (The Duchess (of Malfi)). An SQA spokesperson told The Herald that the selections on the new list are 'based on the most popular responses' in previous exams, and that the list will be 'reviewed regularly top ensure it remains relevant". The new list of set texts for Higher Drama (Image: James McEnaney) Speaking to The Herald on condition of anonymity, one current drama teacher said that the SQA has 'failed to recognise the huge implications of introducing a set text list and new marking scheme just a few weeks before the change of timetable." They continued: 'In a time where unions are voicing concerns for teachers health and wellbeing as well as workload it's a real slap in the face to those wanting to do the best for the young people in their class. 'I'm hugely concerned at the lack of diversity on the new list - it does not represent a contemporary Scotland. There are no BAME texts, very few females on the list. It's made up with a majority of white men.' Commenting on changes to marking approaches, the teacher added that these have 'now been dumbed down' and expressed a fear that drama will 'now be looked down on by universities' when setting entry requirements. Anne Keenan, Assistant General Secretary of the EIS, said: 'Clearly, where it is necessary to make changes to a course in any subject following what should be consultation with teachers through their representative bodies, it is essential that schools and teachers are provided with adequate information and time to prepare. The workload demands of changes to a course are substantial, and can add significantly to existing teacher workload if not managed correctly. In addition, changes to courses can bring with them resource requirements which place an even greater strain on already tight school budgets. 'In planning any changes to courses, the SQA must be fully cognisant to the impact on schools, teachers and students. It is also important that due consideration be given to the appropriateness of the required materials, including the equality impact of the selected texts. 'Proper consultation with teacher trade unions would have led to much stronger equality considerations at an early stage. The EIS continues to advise members that there can be no expectation that last-minute changes from the SQA will be accommodated over and above existing agreements in respect of teachers' working time. 'The SQA should think again.' The Herald approached the SQA to ask why course changes were being pushed through for the coming school year and whether the exam board would consider a delay in response to concerns raised. Their spokesperson said: 'Following feedback from stakeholders, and evidence gathered from past years' assessments whereby learners were not taking advantage of the full range of marks available to them in the Higher Drama exam, SQA took the decision to review the Higher Drama question paper and the accompanying marking instructions. 'This was done to consolidate the question paper and give learners the best opportunity to maximise their marks from the paper. Feedback received indicated that there was a desire among teachers to adopt the changes for the 2025-26 session. 'These changes were shaped by the thoughtful feedback shared by teachers, and the timing reflects what was important to them. 'To support teachers through this transition, a range of resources will be available in the new session. These will include an event, a webinar, and understanding standards material – such as exemplar answers and commentaries – to help bring clarity and confidence to the classroom. 'We're grateful to teachers for their input, which played a key role in shaping these developments.'
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Michael Sheen and the Daily Mirror give working class authors 'A Writing Chance'
Writers from Michael Sheen's 'A Writing Chance' project mentored by Mirror journalists see their work in print As an ordinary kid growing up in South Wales, I dreamed of being an actor. That might have seemed unusual, but back then I had Richard Burton and Anthony Hopkins to look up to – people who'd grown up like me and gone on to be successful. There were more books, films, play and TV shows created by working class people too, from 'A Taste of Honey' to 'Boys from the Black Stuff'. All that gave me confidence to have a go myself. But in the last few decades, things changed. It's become much tougher for people from ordinary backgrounds to get their stories heard. Today, half of published authors have middle-class backgrounds – but just 10 per cent are working-class. We know that kids from all walks of life enjoy reading at school, and working-class people are some of the best story tellers out there, so somewhere, somehow, something's going wrong. That's why I worked with the Daily Mirror to launch 'A Writing Chance', a project to find and support new working-class writers from across the UK. We've already found fantastic storytellers – one, Tom Newlands, wrote one of the big hits of 2024, 'Only Here, Only Now'. Here you can read some of the work produced by our latest writers, who have been mentored by brilliant Mirror journalists. It's renewed my belief that as Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry said, "the really successful work" happening at the moment "tends to be working-class writers telling working-class stories." In the future we're going to be publishing more stories like this in The Bee, a new magazine which will be a home for working class writers. I hope you'll read it – and, if you have a tale to tell, maybe write for us as well? Justice and fairness demand that people from the less well-off sections of society have the chance to tell their stories, and to get them heard. But it's also about common sense. When we surveyed working-class people who like to read, 63 per cent said that representation was important, and that they'd like to see more people like themselves on the pages. There's an untapped market out there. Perhaps, most important of all, the most urgent, revelatory and entertaining stories – the ones we most want to hear – so often come from those who are excluded, or who struggle to be heard. I've always believed that telling stories is an important way to make change in the world – and levelling the playing field for writers has to be a change for the better. I believe that as we encourage working people to write, they will inspire others to be creative, just as working-class actors and writers inspired me. Sue Townsend was working-class, disabled, and unapologetically loyal to my community in Leicester. She tackled serious issues with wit and heart – and she gave hope to people like me. She showed me our lives — council estates, illness, hardship — were worth writing about. We often hear what's "wrong" with council estates. But what about what's right? Activism, humour, and community resilience were led by women like Sue and my nana Winnie, who didn't want credit. They just wanted change. Sue wasn't just a writer — she was a movement. Her voice gave working-class people visibility without patronising or exaggerating. She found the extraordinary in ordinary life and shared it with honesty. Sue moved to Eyres Monsell, a Leicester council estate, in the late 60s. By the early 70s, Sue was a struggling single mum of three young children. When her son asked, "Why can't we go to the zoo like other kids?" the seed of Adrian Mole was planted. During the 70s, Sue met my nana, Winnie Aldwinckle. Winnie lived on the next estate, known as The Saff, where Sue worked – and was a powerhouse, co-founding the Parents' Association in 1973. Her grassroots activism mirrored Sue's — both women used media to create change. Winnie regularly contributed to the Leicester Mercury, often collaborating with journalist Adam Wakelin. She even had her column, Winnie's World — a podcast before podcasts. She talked, Wakelin wrote. All voluntary, all for the community. When the Goldhill Adventure Playground faced closure, Sue and Winnie camped out to protest — and they won. Upon Winnie's passing in 2013, Sue co-wrote her obituary with Wakelin for the Leicester Mercury — Sue's last known publication before her own death in 2014. She wrote, "If anything went wrong on the estate, we called on Winnie. You had a good chance of winning if she was on your side." Sue won, too — not by selling out or moving away, but by staying loyal to Leicester and writing truthfully about the people who lived there. By Sunita Thind 'You smell of curry', 'Sunita, you got a tache, gorilla', 'Oi, Coconut f*ck off home,' were some of the taunts I grew up with. For people like me who have an invisible disability and are from a minority background, this is just a way of life. But raising a problem in Asian society makes you the problem. 'Chup kar' – keep quiet, keep it to yourself – our elders would say in Punjabi. In my community, we were not educated on such dirty matters as sex, periods, and other taboo subjects because we were a conservative community. And nor was I taught at school to be proud of my multiple cultures and heritage, or about the hidden histories of the British Empire, Partition, or India's contribution to fighting two world wars. But after facing infertility, surgical menopause, hair loss, loss of my ovaries and fertility my family were there to lift me up, including my husband and silver-tipped Samoyed dog, Ghost. At my beautiful Sikh wedding with my handsome white husband, I finally felt proud of the cultures and customs I used to reject but are part of my DNA. The men in my family came over from Malaysian and Singapore. My Grandad eventually had a corner shop, my dad worked very hard, long hours at the Brickyard. I loved singing the Christian hymns at school, but when the doors closed it was my family, community and Gurdwara that gave me a spiritual sense of myself as well delicious Indian food. We supported each other with the food we made, spices fragrant as our souls, bonding over special festivals like Diwali, Vasaki (Sikh Harvest festival), and Guru Nanak's birthday, Rakhi. If you are Caucasian, you are an expat, if you are a person of colour, you are an immigrant, migrant, refugee. We are still on the outside of the looking glass with our hands and faces pressed against it, desiring belonging. By Zainab Amer I write because of my community, not in spite of it. I'm working-class, with English and Egyptian roots. My childhood summers were spent in Egypt, surrounded by family, food, and laughs. It was also the first time I saw real poverty. It shook me and still does. I knew even then: these stories mattered. Being a working-class writer isn't easy. The biggest challenge is access - or the lack of it: to resources, networks, and a seat at the table. I have scrubbed bathrooms, stacked shelves, and balanced armfuls of plates while my feet throbbed. Politicians insist hard graft pays off. But here's the truth: we can barely make rent. Instead, we're rewarded with housing worries, not writing submissions. Still, what I gain from my community outweighs the setbacks. I've listened to a carer who devoted 10 years to her father with dementia. I've bantered alongside retail comrades - a vital ingredient in surviving a nine-hour shift. These aren't just stories of 'struggle.' They are full of compassion, grit, and humour. As a writer, I try to carry these through every story. Every article. Every pitch. And as for my Egyptian side? In a time when negative depictions of Arabs are ubiquitous, it feels more urgent than ever to write about what I know: which is warmth, charm, and endless storytelling.
RTÉ News
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Zoe Ball returns to BBC Radio 2 with new Saturday show
Radio presenter Zoe Ball has returned to BBC Radio 2, four-and-a-half months after she left her breakfast show on the station, jokingly declaring she is "back once again with the ill behaviour". Ball previously left the station to "focus on family" and opened her new Saturday afternoon show with A Taste of Honey's Boogie Oogie Oogie. Speaking at the start of the show, she said: "It's me - Ballette. Back once again with the ill behaviour. "Should we kick off with this? Let's get this show on the road, seat belts off, doors to manual." Ball's opening remark was taken from Renegade Master by DJ Wildchild, which was remixed by her ex-husband Norman Cook, who is best known as Fatboy Slim, in 1998. As Booker T and the MGs' Green Onions played in the background, Ball went on to ask if she still needed to do time checks on the afternoon show or whether "everyone is just so relaxed and laid back that we don't even need those anymore". She continued: "It's lovely to be back on a Saturday. This is where it all began for me, back in the day when I used to sweep up and make the teas. I used to do early mornings, and then I did the slot where Rylan (Clark) is." "In fact, I said to producer Geoff with a g, I went, 'Well, I'll pop in then about two, alright? And then we'll run things through'. And he went, 'Halfway through your show, love. Might want to come in a bit earlier than that'. "I made it. I made it thanks to Geoff with a g's daughter Emily, who made me a cake. It is absolutely magnificent, Emily. "And, apparently, when Geoff with a g got home last night, she'd made one, wasn't happy with it, made another. She made three cakes. "Emily, you're an absolute queen. Thank you very much indeed. "See Nelly, my daughter, who was out at a rave on the beach last night - that's what you could be doing, clean living life - thank you very much." When saying goodbye to her breakfast show in December 2024, Ball received messages from singer Kylie Minogue, England footballer Alessia Russo, and Doctor Who star David Tennant. Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills took over her slot in January 2025, and his previous weekday slot of 2pm to 4pm has been filled by Trevor Nelson. Ball took a break from hosting The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show in the summer of 2024 before returning last September. After making the decision to leave last November, she revealed she wakes up most days with "awful headaches" due to a health condition that causes pain in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. She said she had a temporomandibular (TMJ) joint disorder, which affects the movement of the jaw. Ball was the BBC's highest-paid on-air female presenter in 2023/24 with a salary between £950,000 and £954,999. The ranking saw her second on the list of top-earning talent behind Gary Lineker, according to the corporation's annual report published in July 2024. She was previously married to musician and DJ Cook, and the pair have two children together: a son, Woody Fred Cook, born in 2000, and a daughter, Nelly May Lois Cook, who was born in 2010. Ball was the first woman to present the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show solo when her co-host Kevin Greening left the show in 1998. She departed the role in 2000 and went on to become the first permanent female breakfast show host at BBC Radio 2 almost 19 years later. Ball will present her new BBC Radio 2 show from 1pm to 3pm on Saturdays.
