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Daily Record
7 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Stirling youngsters praised for "impressive" exam results as increase recorded
The number of pupils in Stirling achieving success at National Five and Higher levels were outlined in figures released by Stirling Council. Stirling's school pupils have been praised for a 'very impressive' set of exam results as youngsters across the region received the big news yesterday (August 5). Figures revealed by Stirling Council on the SQA results day have shown an increase in the number of pupils picking up five awards or more at National Five level by the end of S4. The percentage of pupils securing one, three or five Highers by the end of S5 has also improved, as well as those in S6 achieving three or five Highers. The general upward trend follows the national data, with the qualifications body - set to be replaced next year - claiming that 2025 was a 'landmark year' in terms of attainment for the 147,000 learners across Scotland who received their results. The convener of Stirling Council's Social Work and Education Committee, Cllr Danny Gibson, said; 'This is a very impressive set of results for our young people and recognition of their hard work and commitment – you should all be very proud of your achievements. 'It's also important to acknowledge the dedication and support of our amazing teachers, school staff and parents and carers in our school communities. 'These results and qualifications will open the door to exciting opportunities for our young people, whether that's further education, training or the world of work. We can't wait to see where your journey takes you next.' Among those receiving their results on a traditionally tense morning were pupils from Bannockburn High - with the school recording a significant improvement in number of young people achieving five or more Highers in S5. The school's head teacher, Karen Hook, said: 'We are incredibly proud of our all of our students' achievements this year – their hard work, resilience, and determination have truly paid off. 'These results reflect not only their commitment but also the dedication of our entire school community.' Scotland's Chief Examining Officer, Donna Stewart, also added her words of congratulations to the country's young people as she reflected on improvements in the overall picture - including an increase in attainment across all levels of National Qualifications. Ms Stewart said: 'Scotland's learners should be rightly proud today – and we are proud of them. 'Their hard work and commitment has made 2025 a landmark year. 'The rise in overall attainment at all three National Qualification levels will rightly be welcomed in classrooms and staffrooms across Scotland. Higher entries have also risen beyond 200,000 for the first time since Curriculum for Excellence was introduced. 'The number of vocational and technical qualifications passed the 100,000 landmark for the first time, with record numbers of learners embracing the wide range of skills-based learning that schools, colleges, teachers and lecturers are working so hard to offer and that employers are crying out for. '2025 has also seen the poverty-related attainment gap narrow at all levels of national qualifications. We welcome that progress towards the shared national mission to reduce inequality. 'All of those achievements are to be celebrated – and they belong to Scotland's learners. For those in need of advice or support following results day, a specialist helpline has been set up to help. Skills Development Scotland's 'results helpline' went live at 8am yesterday and will be open until Friday (August 8), with expert advisers o hand to discuss issues including course vacancies at UK colleges and universities, confirmation and clearing, advice about foundation, modern, and graduate apprenticeships, jobs, volunteering, or staying on at school. The helpline can be contacted on 0808 100 8000. Cllr Gibson added: 'While this will be a day of celebration for some of our young people, others may not have achieved the results they had hoped for and may be feeling disappointed or anxious. 'Please remember that exams results are just one small part of your journey, and support is available to help you take the next steps with confidence, regardless of what path you are considering.'
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
50 Years On, Survivors Guilt Lingers Over Vietnam Veterans and Families
SHOW LOW, Ariz.—In every war, combat veterans grapple with a profound and haunting question: why did I survive while others did not? Decades after the Vietnam War concluded on April 30, 1975, the weight of 'survivor's guilt' continues to overshadow many families, particularly those whose loved ones returned forever changed. Veterans and family members of those who survived the war shared their memories, the challenges of reintegration, and the lasting impact the experience has had on their lives with the Epoch Times since the fall of Saigon 50 years ago. A Mother's Burden Karen Hook's late brother, Vernon Stearns, was a Green Beret in Vietnam, an elite special forces soldier coming from a family of 'Army brats' who loved their flag and country. When the family went days on end without hearing from Vernon during the war, Hook could sense the impact it had on her mother. Her mother would fall silent and try to remain strong. Finally, the news would arrive that he was safe after another mission. The family rejoiced every time. Related Stories 5/17/2024 10/16/2023 'It was difficult for the entire family,' Hook, 70, recalled, reflecting on the long-ago days of the Vietnam War. 'But I think it's the mother who suffers the most out of everybody.' In 1971, the war finally ended for her older brother. Although he survived physically, he returned home as a changed person. 'He didn't talk about Vietnam very much,' Hook, the director of Turn of the Card Community Center in Show Low, Arizona, told The Epoch Times. 'The only thing that was hard for him was that he came back with [post-traumatic stress disorder] and a few other things.' Flowers with messages of gratitude are left at the Vietnam War Memorial near the Little Saigon section in Westminster, Calif., on April 28, brother had difficulty sleeping. He started having frequent night terrors that made him wake up screaming. In his thoughts, he was experiencing the war all over again. His wife struggled to cope with the emotional trauma and survivor's guilt her husband experienced, but it was overwhelming. The couple eventually decided to get a divorce. Hook said that her brother never expressed his feelings about the war, as he kept them locked away in a vault of privacy. 'But I'm sure my brother felt [guilt],' she said. 'I've had other friends who returned feeling guilty.' A Recognized Condition The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes survivor's guilt in veterans as a component of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Its symptoms include recurring memories or dreams of the traumatic event, emotional numbness, irritability, and anxiety. A visitor pays homage at the Vietnam veterans traveling wall in Camp Verde, Ariz., on March 29, 2023. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times A corollary of PTSD and survivor's guilt is the 'moral injury' experienced by many returning soldiers due to the orders they followed. Moral injury is not classified as a psychiatric disorder, though it shares many characteristics with PTSD, according to Veterans Affairs. Moral injuries can arise from direct involvement in combat actions, such as killing or harming opponents or civilians. They can also result from indirect experiences, such as witnessing death, failing to prevent others' questionable actions, or giving or receiving orders they view as serious moral transgressions. Weight of War On a broader level, survivor's guilt is a terrible burden, as the soldier must also carry the weight of those who have died. 'Survivor's guilt is an often misunderstood yet profoundly impactful emotional experience, particularly prevalent among veterans,' according to Cumberland Hall Hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. 'Survivor's guilt is a psychological response to surviving a situation where others have died or suffered. It is common among veterans who have returned from combat zones.' The condition involves feelings of self-blame, depression, and sadness—powerful emotions that can be difficult to process or resolve. Mary Johnson in Show Low, Ariz., on April 2, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times The Vietnam War (1964-1973) officially ended 50 years ago on April 30, 1975, when Saigon fell to communist North Vietnamese forces. The conflict resulted in the loss of 58,220 U.S. soldiers. Thousands of emotionally scarred veterans returned home and were never the same again. Junior Garrison, 82, a veteran from Arizona, feels that the enduring psychological impact of war is the price one pays for having served. Garrison served in the Army from 1961 to 1981 and spent 13 months in Vietnam. 'You know, anybody that goes to war for too long and it doesn't affect them, there's something wrong with them,' Garrison told The Epoch Times. He said that some people managed to avoid the military draft during the war. He decided to enlist instead. 'There were a lot of people that went to Canada,' he said. 'There were a lot of people that went to college.' 'I came back from Vietnam.' The military draft recruited more than 2 million men during the war, while about 9 million served voluntarily from a pool of approximately 27 million. In 1969, the Army deployed Garrison's unit to a forward air base in South Vietnam, where they encountered numerous rocket attacks from the Viet Cong. Garrison said that he didn't know any of the men who died in the attacks, but their deaths are something that would stay with him forever. Fishers of Men for Veterans co-founder Marty Jarvey prepares backpacks filled with supplies for homeless veterans in east-central Arizona on Jan. 31, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times 'Oh, yeah. I've talked to a lot of people—it's a guilty feeling,' Garrison said. 'But you know what? It's a normal reaction.' Where Have They Gone? Mary Johnson, 83, from Arizona, lost her husband, Gary, 15 years ago at age 67 due to complications related to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. 'He was never sick a day in his life,' Johnson said. Agent Orange was the code name for the herbicide and defoliant used by the military during the Vietnam War, specifically in Operation Ranch Hand, which took place from 1962 to 1971. She described her husband as a man with a dedicated military career who trained for combat. 'He was a [Army] scout dog and had a scout dog platoon,' she said. 'They were out in the jungle all the time.' Junior Garrison, 82, in Show Low, Ariz., on April 2, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times Gary's second tour involved being an adviser to the South Vietnamese, 'so he lived out in the jungle with them.' Johnson said her husband decided to stay for six additional months in place of a brother, whose platoon had been 'wiped out' by the North Vietnamese. 'He stayed so his brother wouldn't have to go back,' she said. Johnson does not remember her husband ever displaying signs of trauma related to combat. 'He said the worst thing that happened to him was he stubbed his toe on the way to the showers,' she said. However, her husband did not leave the battlefield unscathed. He lost friends and spent years searching for other comrades after the war. 'We did find one in Las Cruces, New Mexico,' Johnson said. 'And there was one—his last name was Ivy. [Gary] tried and tried and tried to find him. 'He never found him—and he was sad about that.' Ronald Eugene Hudson, 74, divides his time between Arizona and Costa Rica. He spent 26 years in the Navy and served during the Vietnam War. 'I talked with one guy. If I remember, he was from Kansas,' Hudson said. 'He said he felt guilty that he came back alive. And half of the friends that he was in the company with didn't even come back at all.' 'I've never had the guilt,' Hudson told The Epoch Times, 'but what I have is a lot of respect for anybody that went over there and came back.' 'They Were Soldiers, and Young' Marty Jarvey from Lakeside, Arizona, is a former member of the Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. As a nurse, she witnessed the devastating aftermath of the war while supporting U.S. soldiers in North Vietnamese prison camps. 'You were there to help them, and then, all of a sudden, they died,' Jarvey said. 'Skinny, bones, no hair.' She said it was even harder to see how they looked in photographs as young men, full of life. Jarvey spent around three weeks traveling between the orphanages and prisoner of war camps, providing assistance to those in need and helping with the delivery of bodies for repatriation. 'Do I feel guilty? Do I feel sad because there was something I could have done to control it? There's nothing you could control there,' Jarvey told The Epoch Times. 'The mass destruction was already there. What were you going to do?' More than 1,800 burial plots were decorated with flags on Memorial Day at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery on May 27, 2023. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times One day, while living in Southern California, Karen Hook's father built a flagpole in the family's front yard. He raised Old Glory, around which they gathered to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. She recalled this as a happy time in her childhood when war and heartache felt distant. 'I remember it as the most wonderful country in the world,' Hook said. 'I still feel that way.'
