Testing times demand a grown-up debate about measuring P1 progress

Has John Swinney done a good job of selling standardised testing? Clearly not. Will data gathered from P1 assessments be of limited value? Perhaps. But if the attainment gap isn’t properly measured, how will we ever know if it’s been closed?

A ‘snooper’s charter’ is no match for Facebook

It will surely come as a shock to many people that while the authorities can tap phones, open mail, bug houses and put suspects (and their dogs) under surveillance, they can’t access a digital source of evidence that prior to the crime may have been viewable by hundreds of people, or even been largely public.

Natural contraception? Don’t believe the hype

If natural is best then why not ditch the Pill, with its synthetic hormones, in favour of a modern, trendy app subscription?

Sorry Jeremy, when you make mistakes they’ll be reported

The media barons who control the UK have seen to that. They have conspired to bring you down, and their primary tactic has been fiendishly simple: printing and broadcasting the exact words that come out of your mouth.

A Feminist’s Guide to the Festivals: Best of the Fringe

Natalie Palmides: Nate This isn’t just the best thing I saw at this year’s Fringe – it’s one of the best things I’ve even seen anywhere. Natalie Palamides won Best Newcomer at last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards and if she isn’t nominated for the main prize this year I’ll be furious. The less you know

There’s nothing ‘peaceful’ about protests outside hospitals

We would not stand for right-to-die campaigners issuing calls for legislative change from outside geriatric wards or funeral homes. So why on earth should we tolerate this?

Who can we trust to keep vital charities afloat?

The government can’t simply open the public purse every time a charity gets a knock-back from the third sector, so what criteria will be used when it comes to providing or withholding lifelines?

A Feminist’s Guide to Edinburgh International Book Festival 2018

“Revolting women”, game-changers and activists from around the world are coming to the capital for this year’s festival. Here are some programme highlights for the feminist festival-goer.

A Feminist’s Guide to the Festivals: A dozen more Fringe shows worth investigating (in time order)

In our final “pick of the Fringe” blog, here are the rest of the shows that caught our eye but didn’t fit them theme of any of the other hit lists.

A Feminist’s Guide to the Festivals: Fringe shows about blood, sex and bodies (in time order)

From femininity to fertility, menstruation to infantilisation, no topic is off-limits in this eclectic selection of shows about bodies.