Scots schoolgirl pens emotional open letter to John Swinney after medic dreams crushed by exam result chaos

Get the stories that interest you straight to your inbox every day with our personalised newsletterSecondary school pupils in Ayrshire will be told to wear face masks from Monday (August 31).The Scottish Government confirmed this morning that they would be implementing the guidance following a review of safety measures.Pupils will have to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas but there will also be exemptions, the Government has said.Education Secretary John Swinney told BBC Good

Wheel of Fortune host bought the house in Edinburgh’s upmarket Morningside for £545,000 in 2016.In June, Leslie, 55, put the detached villa on the market for offers over £610,000.Property records show he has made a hefty £170,000 on the house after it sold for £715,000 last month.The home, which was built in 2003, has three bedrooms and a back garden boasting views of the city skyline.Ralph Hendrie Legal’s sales brochure said the house has a garden that “overlooks The Hermitage of Braid and

Scottish independence in the future, the Deputy First Minister has said. John Swinney hit back at a comment from Tory minister Michael Gove who had questioned whether the voting franchise should remain the same as the 2014 referendum.

Prince Charles ordered tailors to halt making a tweed kilt jacket when he discovered its buttons were from Austria.The heir insisted that every inch of material used on his new outfit was sourced in Scotland.His demand included the tiniest detail on the striking attire – down to the stag horn buttons on the jacket and matching waistcoat.Craftsman John Sugden, who made the clothes, said it showed the Royal’s commitment to the industry north of the Border.He added: “The prince had chosen the tweed

firefighter has told how he was left barely able to walk five yards after being struck down by coronavirus. Local Senior Officer for Ayrshire, Ian McMeekin, contracted the virus at the start of lockdown and said the ordeal was something he "would never want to go through again".The 48-year-old also says that without the "outstanding" work of his GP, things could have been a lot worse.

John Swinney has held on to his job after surviving a no-confidence vote over the pupil grades scandal. He was kept in post after securing the support of the pro-independence Scottish Greens.

pandemic.Holidaymakers eyeing up the popular boozy destination will be shocked at how it has been transformed into a ghost town.Ruairidh Mason, who moved from Edinburgh to Majorca five years ago, filmed empty sun loungers and vacant streets which are normally bustling with tourists.Magaluf's Punta Ballena party strip was closed in mid-July after boozed-up tourists caused carnage and flouted social distancing rules.Just a week later, the Scottish Government imposed a strict 14-day quarantine rule

Scottish Government’s dramatic exam results U-turn.Erin Bleakley tearfully told of her joy after Education Secretary John Swinney announced all downgraded results would be reverted back to those predicted by teachers.The 17-year-old organised a rally in George Square last week after the SQA exam board used a system to 'normalise' the results which left thousands of young people with grades lower than those predicted by their teachers.Erin, from Shettleston in Glasgow, had held a banner in George

The Hartmanns are set to appear on a new ITV show and become Scotland’s first showbiz family.Taking a leaf out of the Kardashians’ book, the clan – led by fashion powerhouse Tessa - are reportedly going to be front and centre of new ITVBe series The Real Housewives of Jersey.And it’s going to be the biggest show set on the Channel Islands since 80s cop series Bergerac which starred John Nettles.Tessa, 50, will be joined by her German film-maker husband Sascha, 40, and their daughters Tallia

John Swinney has signaled a U-turn on the SQA exams scandal. Swinney, who faces a no-confidence vote in the Scottish Parliament, is set to make a statement on Tuesday after pupils and teachers raised concerns about the crisis.Pupils who are unhappy with their exam results will be able to appeal them for free.

John Swinney will announce a move to address the "anger" of Scots pupils over the exam results scandal next week. The Education Secretary is to lay out a series of "steps" he will take on Tuesday over the grade moderation that has seen the marks of pupils in the poorest areas driven down compared to the most affluent.

Get the latest politics news sent straight to your inbox every FridayLabour are demanding Education Secretary John Swinney quits for his role in an exam results "shambles".The party said the senior SNP Government minister has "lost control" as anger grows at the way results were downgraded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.Results this week showed pupils from poorer communities were more likely to have grades "moderated" down from teachers' estimates, sparking protests from young people

SQA a 'fail' for questioning the judgement of teachers after downgrading thousands of pupil results across the country.Rod Grant, headmaster at Clifton Hall School in Edinburgh, has demanded a full-scale independent review after almost a third of his students had their grades lowered by the education body.He blasted the exam quango and said it called into question the integrity of Scots teachers who will be called upon to help mark appeals.The new pupil grading system - brought in after

asked First Minister Nicola ­Sturgeon why her hard work was being “wiped out” because she lives in the wrong postcode.Erin Bleakley called on the Scottish Government to reverse the downgrading of results of thousands of children, mostly from poorer areas.And the 17-year-old hopes today’s rally in Glasgow’s George Square will force Sturgeon and Education Secretary John Swinney to clear up the mess.The coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of exams in all schools, with teachers asked to

Ethan Ross Bonnar was left with horror injuries after crashing through the abandoned Dairy Crest building in Totnes.The 22-year-old, originally from Dunoon, lay undiscovered inside the building for more than 24 hours before he was found sparking a huge emergency operation.Ethan who had been living in Torquay, Devon, suffered fatal brain fractures and was flown by helicopter from the scene as medics desperately tried to save him.He was brought to Derriford major trauma centre in Plymouth where he

school grades system.The Education Secretary argued that the controversial system, which saw the results of pupils downgraded, had seen the attainment gap close.However, his comments were derided by critics on social media.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on how our governments are handling the coronavirus pandemic.To sign up, simply enter your email

exam entries were downgraded in Scotland after estimates by teachers were adjusted by officials. Overall Scottish school results show increases in National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers compared with last year.