Scotland's independent non-party think tank A public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all & more effective public services. Enlighten is independent of all political parties.https://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3moklix7j322cFollowing the recent publication of Alan Milburn's interim report we are delighted to host this important discussion on the patriation crisis facing the UK. @chrisdeerin.bsky.social will be in conversation with @seanduffy69.bsky.social & Rt Hon. Justine Greening. https://www.enlighten.scot/event/online-event-a-discussion-exploring-the-growing-participation-challenge-facing-the-uk/18 Jun 2026 10:09 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3moklix7j322chttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mm5ah6qk7s2mOnline event: 4pm 10 June We are delighted to host an online event with Prof Lindsay Paterson talking to @chrisdeerin.bsky.social about his new book, Lessons from Scottish Schools, which examines recent history, international comparisons & cognitive science. https://www.enlighten.scot/lessons-from-scottish-schools/18 May 2026 15:56 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5ah6qk7s2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mjylzq7oec2cAs the election campaign heats up, this is an interesting read from the Mercat Group for our #DevolvingScotland forum on the level of voter apathy in Scotland. Read the full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/devolvingscotland/is-apathy-destroying-democracy-the-mercat-group/21 Apr 2026 08:49 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjylzq7oec2chttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mjvziibbnk2cStill time to sign up for this week's online events Today at 1.30pm - Ahead of the elections a look at the education debate in Scotland & Wales in partnership with @policywise.bsky.social Thursday at 1pm - the rise of political misinformation All info below or www.enlighten.scot/events/20 Apr 2026 08:12 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjvziibbnk2chttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mjf2po3e5k2kJoin us on 20 April at 1.30pm for an online discussion looking at school education in Wales & Scotland ahead of the election. This is a joint discussion with @policywise.bsky.social. Full details and to sign up: https://www.enlighten.scot/event/online-event-a-discussion-about-education-in-scotland-and-wales/13 Apr 2026 14:19 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjf2po3e5k2khttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mig4wgh6g22kBill Howat and Keith Yates write for Devolving Scotland, marking 30 years since local government reform in Scotland. Read the article in full here: https://www.enlighten.scot/devolvingscotland/whas-the-gowk-bill-howat-keith-yates/01 Apr 2026 07:06 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mig4wgh6g22khttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3midx3jn7l22k"Despite decades of stated commitment to prevention, early intervention and person-centred care, outcomes have not kept pace with ambition" @timjackson.org.uk @cusp.ac.uk for #NHS2048. Read the policy summary: https://www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/prosperity-as-health-recentring-care-to-guide-health-system-reform-tim-jackson/ And the full working paper https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/health/wp45/31 Mar 2026 10:16 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3midx3jn7l22khttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mhzrmrjttc2lOur Digital Lead Morgan Higgins has written for the Enlighten blog on mobile phones and social media - and why the conversation shouldn’t just stop at young people. https://www.enlighten.scot/phones-social-media-and-young-people-but-what-about-the-rest-of-us/27 Mar 2026 09:12 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhzrmrjttc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mhscomkn6c2kONLINE EVENT: The Dangerous Rise of Political Misinformation 1pm Thurs 23 April Director @chrisdeerin.bsky.social will be in conversation with @markfrankel29.bsky.social of @fullfact.org. For more information and to register: https://www.enlighten.scot/event/the-dangerous-rise-of-political-misinformation-an-online-discussion/24 Mar 2026 09:56 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhscomkn6c2khttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mhppxuh2ss2j"At no point has the NHS in Scotland employed the number of nursing staff it says it needs" Eileen McKenna from RCN Scotland writes for #NHS2048. Read her full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/safe-nurse-staffing-levels-are-critical-to-scotlands-health-eileen-mckenna/23 Mar 2026 09:15 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhppxuh2ss2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mhcybbryak2jMary Porter of KPE4 writes for the blog on the potential of the "braided career", enabling participants to split their time between the classroom and industry to help address shortages of computing teachers. Read her full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/braided-careers-could-solve-the-crisis-facing-computer-science-teaching-in-scotland/18 Mar 2026 07:39 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhcybbryak2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mh6la7ue6s2jJoin us for an online event on 1 April where we discuss what the NHS can learn from the third sector. Our panel includes: Jane-Claire Judson @chsscotland.bsky.social @tejeshm.bsky.social @vhscotland.bsky.social Rami Okasha CHAS Chaired by @chrisdeerin.bsky.social https://www.enlighten.scot/event/online-event-how-to-make-scotlands-nhs-more-efficient/16 Mar 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh6la7ue6s2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mh6cjdlj7c2jCatch up on our latest Meet the Leader series of events in partnership with Charlotte Street Partners. On Thursday 12 March @chrisdeerin.bsky.social was in conversation with Malcolm Offord . Watch back the discussion here: https://www.enlighten.scot/event/meet-the-leaders-malcolm-offord/16 Mar 2026 10:59 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh6cjdlj7c2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mgud66fvyk2j"NHS staff are often told they must change their ways of working to improve quality of service. The same is now true of our politicians." Prof Mark Strachan from @rcpedin.bsky.social writes for our #NHS2048 forum. Read his full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/the-election-is-an-opportunity-to-prioritise-working-together-for-the-long-term-future-of-the-nhs/12 Mar 2026 11:44 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgud66fvyk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mgruzdq5ok2mKeir Bloomer, chair of our Commission on School Reform, gave evidence this morning to @parliament.scot's Education, Children & Young People Committee on reform of curriculum and assessment. The Commission on School Reform's recent manifesto can be read in full here https://www.enlighten.scot/publication/commission-on-school-reform-manifesto-2026/11 Mar 2026 12:26 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgruzdq5ok2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mgpbb6jejs2mResearch director @alipayne.bsky.social has contributed to @hepi-news.bsky.social's Scottish week reflecting that without an education system firing on all cylinders, the many other problems facing Scotland cannot be fixed [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Mar 2026 11:27 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgpbb6jejs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mgpaz5zm3s2m“Pupils are now performing more poorly in physics, and the STEM subjects more broadly, compared to other subjects than historically was the case" Read the full blog from @stuartphysics.bsky.social https://www.enlighten.scot/lessons-learned-opportunities-to-be-grasped/10 Mar 2026 11:23 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgpaz5zm3s2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mgcenvzd5s2mThis afternoon at #FMQs @stephenkerr.bsky.social has a question on Curriculum for Excellence and highlights the Commission on School Reform's recent manifesto. Read the manifesto in full here: https://www.enlighten.scot/publication/commission-on-school-reform-manifesto-2026/05 Mar 2026 08:23 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgcenvzd5s2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mgair5sluc2m“when clinicians are empowered to redesign care pathways, streamline processes & adopt evidence-based efficiencies, more patients can be treated without compromising quality” Nigel Kirkpatrick from Newmedica writes for #NHS2048 https://www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/efficiency-by-design-making-the-nhs-more-productive-for-patients-nigel-kirkpatrick/04 Mar 2026 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgair5sluc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mg5uom3v6c2mTomorrow @parliament.scot will debate the Scottish Government's record on school education. Many of the problems, as well as policy recommendations, were outlined in the Commission on School Reform's manifesto published yesterday. Read it in full here: https://www.enlighten.scot/publication/commission-on-school-reform-manifesto-2026/03 Mar 2026 13:27 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg5uom3v6c2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mg35xxnacs2mThe Commission on School Reform has published its 2026 manifesto. It calls for a return to a knowledge-based curriculum & offers proposals to strengthen academic standards, close the attainment gap & improve support for pupils with additional needs https://www.enlighten.scot/publication/commission-on-school-reform-manifesto-2026/02 Mar 2026 11:35 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg35xxnacs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mflqt2v3ws2mNew article: Paul Argyle McDonald warns that maths curriculum is suffering from a "structural collapse" due to "an educational roadmap that prioritises doing and calculating while largely omitting the why". Read his full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/the-architecture-of-proof-a-national-call-to-restore-rigour-to-scotlands-schools/24 Feb 2026 08:30 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mflqt2v3ws2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mf2qtadk7s2vPaul McGinness of @stormid.com writes for the blog on the potential of AI to reduce administrative burden in the public sector & increase productivity. Read the full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/automate-tasks-not-jobs-how-ai-can-return-62-million-hours-to-scotlands-public-services/17 Feb 2026 14:15 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2qtadk7s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3meyio3pjfc2vJoin us on Mon 26 Feb for an online discussion on exclusive new polling in Scotland & Wales & what it might mean. @profnicolamcewen.bsky.social Charlie Buckley @moreincommonuk.bsky.social Dewi Knight @policywise.bsky.social @chrisdeerin.bsky.social https://www.enlighten.scot/event/online-event-exclusive-new-polling-in-scotland-wales-a-discussion-about-what-it-might-mean/16 Feb 2026 16:43 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3meyio3pjfc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3meim6khigc24"Walking is one of the most inclusive and accessible forms of physical activity" Ian McCall of @walkingscotland.bsky.social writes for #NHS2048 on the positive impact walking and wheeling can have as part of a greater focus on preventing illness https://www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/walking-and-wheeling-a-silver-bullet-for-addressing-health-inequalities-ian-mccall/10 Feb 2026 09:03 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3meim6khigc24https://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3me3x5k6kgs24Katherine Crawford of Age Scotland writes for #NHS2048 on the urgent need to address the problems facing social care. She highlights that while "many, if not most, of us will need social care at some point in our lives"..."it is not a political priority." https://www.enlighten.scot/nhs2048/scotland-needs-accessible-and-deliverable-social-care-katherine-crawford/05 Feb 2026 08:15 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3me3x5k6kgs24https://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mdwvk3iu2224Penny Halliday writes for the Blog about A Listening Ear's call to follow Manchester City Council's lead and remove council tax for those in their last year of life. Read her full article here: https://www.enlighten.scot/the-bucket-list-project/03 Feb 2026 08:03 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdwvk3iu2224https://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mdu7fbuuf224"rarely even mentioned in this debate are the potentially harmful implications of shorter degrees for schools & for school leavers" Prof Lindsay Paterson on the impact for schools from cutting degrees from 4 years to 3. https://www.enlighten.scot/three-year-degrees-would-be-a-threat-to-student-opportunity/02 Feb 2026 06:21 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdu7fbuuf224https://bsky.app/profile/enlightenscot.bsky.social/post/3mdkdzuhndk2l"If we want to improve attainment, close equity gaps & develop confident, capable mathematicians the work must begin in our primary classrooms" Primary school teachers Holly Drummond & Kirsten Fenton write for the blog on improving maths teaching. https://www.enlighten.scot/maths-journalling-a-scottish-solution-for-confident-capable-mathematicians/29 Jan 2026 08:18 +0000at://did:plc:fcgjfxeb37jzo6iokesc5vb3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdkdzuhndk2l