Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Third on starting immediate cross party talks on council tax reform. (2) 010 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Scottish Labour has won its third vote in Parliament in a week. First on recommitting to child poverty targets. The second on recognising the vital role of oil and gas in Scotland’s energy and economic security and calling for wider reindustrialisation in a just transition. (1) 111 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackDr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 21/09/2026A new plan for measuring the performance of Scottish education proposed by Michael Marra and Scottish Labour today www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politic... 001 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 21/09/2026A new plan for measuring the performance of Scottish education proposed by Michael Marra and Scottish Labour today www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politic... 001 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackDr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026One issue that must be considered in amongst Scotland’s PISA results today is that it is one of very few objective measures of our system. Objective measures have been systematically dismantled over the years, leaving us reliant on these studies that come every few years 163 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026One issue that must be considered in amongst Scotland’s PISA results today is that it is one of very few objective measures of our system. Objective measures have been systematically dismantled over the years, leaving us reliant on these studies that come every few years 163 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Professor Lindsay Paterson has described Scottish eduction as a ‘data desert’ and he is right. It is hard to tell what exactly we need to improve when we have done a very good job at not even asking the question of what is going well or badly. 042 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 23/08/2026A wonderful afternoon at @edbookfest hearing from Jaqueline Wilson, whose writing continues to connect and inspire 📖 010 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 23/08/2026A wonderful afternoon at @edbookfest hearing from Jaqueline Wilson, whose writing continues to connect and inspire 📖 000 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 23/06/2026My incredibly talented friend Gemma is presenting interesting findings from her dissertation tomorrow at 2.30 and 6.30. Please drop in! DM for the link. To Need ‘care,’ To Want Care. An Analysis of ‘Need’ and ‘Want’ between the Care Sector and the Care Community’ 111 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 30/05/2026An excellent afternoon at Glasgow Science Centre 🔭 010 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Tremendous to speak with the National Leadership Network at today’s Children in Scotland conference today about participation, centring lived experience, and moving from ‘co-production’ to production. Standing room only! 000 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 02/05/2026A wonderful afternoon in and around the Botanic Gardens book fair 📚 020 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 25/04/2026A tremendous afternoon at Paisley Food and Drink Festival ☀️ 020 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 06/04/2026One of the most significant changes to child poverty imaginable comes into force today, with over 450k children lifted out of poverty, in a move that will be welcomed across society and all sectors. www.itv.com/news/2026-04...itv.com 042 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 04/04/2026The most tremendous lunch. The Sherlock Holmes menu at Six by Nico 🕵️♂️ 010 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 21/03/2026I guess you’re old enough to know… certain songs get so scratched into our souls Some Saturday evening listening 😎 youtu.be/Ko3axaI__0M?...youtu.beCertain SongsYouTube video by The Hold Steady - Topic 000 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 05/02/2026Incredibly strong and evidenced article from MCR Pathways on delivery of the Promise here. Including this from board member Susanne Richards: “We are halfway through The Promise, but nowhere near halfway through its delivery.” mcrpathways.org/news/the-pro...mcrpathways.orgThe Promise: Six Years On, Four Years to Deliver - MCR PathwaysScotland is six years into The Promise, but there is still some distance to cover. Discover how MCR Pathways is using mentoring to deliver real change by 2030. 000 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 24/01/2026Put a tenner on 0-0 at Pittodrie today. My thought was the storm like weather and two struggling teams would produce a borefest. Eight goals and two red cards later shows how much I know about football… 010 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackPrivate Education Policy Forum @pepforum.bsky.social · 21/01/2026"If the state is to invest in the education of all children, then asking the families who purchase a premium tier of schooling to contribute a little more is not radical. It is common sense." Will this be the defining legacy of the VAT policy? 111 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 22/01/2026Thank you for sharing and engaging with the post really appreciated! 000 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 22/01/2026Heartbreakingly sad findings ‘Nearly a third of kids can't use books when starting school - and try to swipe them like phones’ news.sky.com/story/nearly...news.sky.comNearly a third of kids can't use books when starting school - and try to swipe them like phonesStaff also report around 28% of children started school unable to eat and drink independently, and 25% had difficulty with basic life skills. 020 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 13/12/2025Early Christmas celebration in our wee house today, and an excellent Christmas dinner if I say so myself 🎄 050 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 10/12/2025A fantastically fun evening at Parkhill Secondary’s Christmas show: Toy Story the musical 🎄 020 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 07/12/2025Policy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it matters barryblack.substack.com/p/policy-ana...barryblack.substack.comPolicy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it mattersPolicy analysis of a debate I was privileged enough to be involved in last year 011 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackDr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 02/12/2025Some policy analysis about VAT on private school fees, why it is set to raise more than originally forecast, and why this matters. Please read, share, and subscribe for more! open.substack.com/pub/barrybla...open.substack.comPolicy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it mattersPolicy analysis of a debate I was privileged enough to be involved in last year 052 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 02/12/2025Some policy analysis about VAT on private school fees, why it is set to raise more than originally forecast, and why this matters. Please read, share, and subscribe for more! open.substack.com/pub/barrybla...open.substack.comPolicy Analysis: Why VAT on private school fees will raise more than planned, and why it mattersPolicy analysis of a debate I was privileged enough to be involved in last year 052 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackKate Blake @kateblake.bsky.social · 02/12/2025Thought this was a very interesting piece from Barry. I wasn't aware that the OBR had revised the revenue from VAT on private school fees up. I have had people tell me "this is the politics of envy" and that I was wrong to think private schools are businesses, so good to see this policy analysis. 144 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 02/12/2025Thanks Kate, an interesting part of the budget lost in the wider debate of it all - not least the process! 010 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 02/12/2025That call: www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...thetimes.comSchools deserve far better than this hapless exam bodyReforming education governance is often a tool used to appear as if action to deal with the issues within an education system is being taken. That doesn’t mean 100 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 02/12/2025I was among the first to call for this. January 4th 2021. My call was rubbished and told there were no plans. A few months later it was Government policy. The reform hasn’t taken the shape I or many others wanted, but hopefully a page has been turned www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukWhy Scotland's exam body - the SQA - has been scrappedQualifications Scotland comes into being on Tuesday but is it any more than a rebranding of the existing exams agency? 200 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackDr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 27/11/2025As I, and others, predicted there has not been an exodus of pupils from private schools due to VAT on fees, partly because the price point is not a factor in accessing private education. The policy is set to raise *more* than originally forecast. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion... 031 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 27/11/2025As I, and others, predicted there has not been an exodus of pupils from private schools due to VAT on fees, partly because the price point is not a factor in accessing private education. The policy is set to raise *more* than originally forecast. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion... 031 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 27/11/2025Very much looking forward to the Kilbrandon Lecture by @carlenefirmin.bsky.social in the resplendent Barony Hall this evening 040 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 20/11/2025I have always thought that the value of a Covid inquiry would have been setting out a future framework for how the prioritisation of rights work in an emergency. So many rights violated (many of that necessary which is my point) with so little reflection or those decisions. 010 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackDr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 17/11/2025Two years ago (time flies!) I wrote about why Labour need to scrap the two child benefit cap - for many reasons - including if we as a society want to meaningfully reduce education inequalities. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...scotsman.comSNP blew £1 billion failing to close the educational attainment gap. Labour must learn from its mistakes – Barry BlackThe SNP’s failure to improve the exam results of the poorest children shows the need to focus on tackling child poverty. Labour should rethink its approach 001 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 17/11/2025Two years ago (time flies!) I wrote about why Labour need to scrap the two child benefit cap - for many reasons - including if we as a society want to meaningfully reduce education inequalities. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...scotsman.comSNP blew £1 billion failing to close the educational attainment gap. Labour must learn from its mistakes – Barry BlackThe SNP’s failure to improve the exam results of the poorest children shows the need to focus on tackling child poverty. Labour should rethink its approach 001 0
Reposted by Dr Barry BlackDr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 17/10/2025‘I had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.’ barryblack.substack.com/p/i-had-neve...barryblack.substack.comI had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.A (brief) look at the research which changed my mind. From July 2023. 232 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 17/10/2025‘I had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.’ barryblack.substack.com/p/i-had-neve...barryblack.substack.comI had never supported Universal Free School Meals. Then I looked at the evidence.A (brief) look at the research which changed my mind. From July 2023. 232 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 18/10/2025Totally agree! I was at primary sqchool in the early 2000s, and they used to come round and sell dinner tickets in the morning, with different coloured tickets for free school meals. Of course didn’t think much of it at the time but it is Jaw dropping looking back. 100 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 06/08/2025A really engaging day in Edinburgh for my first meeting as a member of the Promise Oversight Board, reflecting on previous reports, looking ahead to measuring progress in the next year, and hearing from the Chief Social Work Adviser. oversightboard.scotoversightboard.scotThe Oversight Board | Monitoring Scotland's promiseThe Oversight Board monitors whether Scotland is keeping its promise to children, young people, and families. 020 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 16/07/2025La Mesa in Paisley tonight with the tremendous @mrdissent.bsky.social 🍀 270 0
Dr Barry Black @barryblackne.bsky.social · 11/07/2025They were absolutely tremendous, really nice and sweet 010 0