Sexual violence, abuse and mental breakdown: inside the therapy room with Scotland’s school counsellors I talk to one of the country’s leading school counsellors about the horrifying reality of teenage life. Warning: this article contains distressing, violent and sexually explicit material

Please read and share. Difficult but important read.

The article in question: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2560707...

The obligatory school attendance campaign coupled with the mental health support . Make them Ill, and feel great about offering mental health support! Why not stop causing it in first place? Loads of folk making loads of cash out of misery. Sickening

ICE agents in Chicago violently detain a non verbal autistic man for being “non compliant” He couldn’t “comply” because of his disability…they don’t care This is not the first time they’ve gone after a disabled person They target the most vulnerable because it’s an easy way to meet their quota

Once again, no one chooses to become disabled. It’s not a moral failing or something a person can “try harder” and avoid. You are not owed our medical history or an explanation. You are not the arbiter of who’s disabled “enough”.

"As Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has shown us, the owners of the sites can tweak the algorithm to suit their political agenda. This is why, before Twitter even became X, it changed into a right-wing cesspit." via @bylines.scot

And it remains the case that anybody putting children in isolation because of their hair shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a school.

The scale of the education cuts being put on the table by one council in Scotland. Brutal, brutal stuff. www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2560...

It is 2025 - we really shouldn't need a petition for this! Require schools to let children use the toilet at all times in the school day. This petition is going viral on other platforms. Let's share and allow our children human rights. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

Qualifications ‘explosion’ shows CfE is working, education secretary Jenny Gilruth tells ADES annual conference www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Most markers of SQA papers think the work does not pay enough, a survey has found - markers find the work useful but complain of being 'undervalued' www.tes.com/magazine/new...

The EIS-FELA has issued a stark warning that Scotland’s Further Education (FE) sector is at a critical crossroads — facing a crisis of finance, governance and identity with defunding and a drift towards privatisation threatening its public mission. #EISNews www.eis.org.uk/latest-news/...

Not just in Glasgow. Happens up here too. Mainstream schools are not built to have quiet spaces on hand. That’s what happens with inclusion, you put a load of kids in an environment that’s overwhelming and there is nowhere for them to escape to when they need a break.

My column in @heraldscotland.bsky.social Link here: www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Many care experienced pupils in Scotland qualify for a Co-ordinated Support Plan (CSP). These plans make sure agencies work together. Navigate explains more, & gives the tools to strengthen the support put in place for care experienced young people. Explore: enquire.org.uk/navigate #ThePromise

The commitment on class contact time was a recognition... that additional time away from the classroom was necessary to give teachers sufficient time and space to plan, prepare and assess pupils’ work. @mikecorbett1.bsky.social www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/2559071...

It is 2025 - we really shouldn't need a petition for this! Require schools to let children use the toilet at all times in the school day. Do not lock toilets so that they aren’t accessible during certain times of the day. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

About England the trends in failure to meet needs don’t have borders and different legislation isn’t making much difference. Why is that? I believe that those in charge don’t see the point of a quality education for all. Only interested in producing next generation of worker bees. Dystopian.

@ouhospitals.bsky.social #Oliverscampaign A short time later Lilly was brought back to me, they said the mortuary was unable to take her because she was actually alive @ouhospitals.bsky.social prompts calls for action from the Health Secretary www.channel4.com/news/exclusi... via @Channel4News

Guru Nanak Jayanti, marks the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. It is one of the most sacred festivals for Sikhs and is celebrated with deep devotion, love, and unity by followers of this faith across India and globally.

EIS staff and National ASN Network are wearing red today to show their support for colleagues stuck on short-term or temporary contracts. Precarity of contract is a significant problem for the teaching workforce in Scotland, particularly amongst recently qualified teachers. #SU4QE

"A caring 11-year-old has been nominated for a "Young Sibling of the Year" award for the help he gives his younger sister. That has included holding her hand in public, walking her into school, and making sure she has her ear defenders and sunglasses." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I welcomed Lori Quate and his family to the Scottish Parliament today where he reiterated his demand for a national investigation into maternity care in Scotland.

A neurodivergent Christmas looks a bit different, so dozens of ND people have made a FREE 78-page ebook A Community Guide to a Happy Neurodivergent Christmas 2nd ed shares tips & validation to help you ditch the expectations and meet your needs Sub @ jadefarrington.substack.com to get it tomorrow.

The Herald's 'Scotland's Forgotten Children' series has been nominated for the #MakingaDifference Award 2025 for best regional campaign. Voting ends at 5pm on Thursday, November 6, and you can vote for The Herald HERE: newsmediauk.org/making-a-di...

Members of our @edinburgheis.bsky.social standing up for education, and the need for teachers to get permanent contracts. Good for teachers and good for pupils. @eisunion.bsky.social #SU4QE

I'm wearing red today in support of the thousands of teachers in Scotland without a permanent contract, as part of a day of solidarity organised by the EIS union.

Really interesting recommendations from the curriculum and assessment review in England - @cerysturner.bsky.social reports www.tes.com/magazine/new... @tesmagazine.bsky.social

“Raising children has its own pressures and challenges, let alone a child with complex additional needs. The education system is supposed to be an environment to be able to discuss their needs and support put in place, not somewhere that will not listen to parents voicing genuine concerns.”

"if we are worried about why the costs of looking after learning disabled people has ballooned in recent decades, we should stop being so binary in our calculations and become more transparent about where the money is being spent" Excellent by @stephenunwin.bsky.social in @bylinetimes.bsky.social

Great piece by @mannybotwe.bsky.social, who will be speaking at the School Leaders Scotland conference next week www.tes.com/magazine/lea... @ascl-uk.bsky.social @tesmagazine.bsky.social

HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) in Scotland now has its own website: educationinspectorate.gov.scot It's also on X: x.com/hmiescotland #EduSky #EduScot #InformedScotland

Are you an Autistic adult or parent/carer to an Autistic child? Would you or they like to contribute to a free booklet for Autistic children and young people that @gr0ve.bsky.social are creating? Here is my contribution: SUBMISSIONS forms.office.com/e/6Lg2Zx3g3N By 23/11/25

I've been banging on about the state of the college sector for YEARS. Hell, I'm only a journalist (rather than a lecturer) because of the incredible scale of the decline. Now the work needed to put things right is enormous, as is the bill! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2559326...

On autism and loneliness: "Many autistic people want to build connections with people, but this can so easily become overstimulating and exhausting. This creates a vicious cycle. Autistic processing may intensify this cycle." From @craeioe.bsky.social: crae.ioe.ac.uk/trapped-in-a... #neurodiversity

Autistic, Schizophrenic, And In Drug And Alcohol Recovery with @emergentdivergence.com Tue, 18 Nov, 6pm - 7:30 pm GMT (affiliate link) events.humanitix.com/autistic-sch...

If you're a single parent in Scotland looking for advice give us a call on our Helpline📲 👩‍👦 Talk to our expert advisors about anything from general worries to budgeting and benefits Call 0808 801 0323 ☎️ opfs.org.uk/talk-to-us/l... #SingleParents #Scotland #Helpline #SingleParentSupport #OPFS

A Scottish Council is facing a bill of around £15m due to major defects in a school that cost around £10m to build. The school won't reopen for nearly 2 years. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558502...

Scotland’s Forgotten Children - The Herald’s campaign to fight child poverty - has been shortlisted for the #MakingaDifference Award 2025 for best regional campaign. VOTE HERE: newsmediauk.org/making-a-dif... Voting closes at 5pm on Thursday, November 6.