More from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious

Today it's education and the effect of single-sex classes. From the Scotsman:

"THE use of single-sex classes to improve the attainment of boy pupils can lead to rising indiscipline, according to research.

Academics at Strathclyde and Glasgow universities found boys-only classes sometimes "exacerbated behaviour problems, heightening laddish behaviour".

Where would we be without these academics to explain the world to us? These purveyors of 'research' then have the audacity to blame us for this state of affairs.

"The research, which was commissioned by the Scottish Executive, accuses secondary schools of not doing enough to narrow the attainment gap between boys and girls.

Last year's exam results showed that girls were getting better grades than boys in the key subjects of English and maths."

I mean if we're going to have this culture where schools become effectively rights-vindication centres, it's hardly our fault if the average man-child tracksuit exercises his right to be a complete dead-weight loss to society, is it? For raising attainment, we need the equipment, dammit - cattle prods, riot shields, tear gas and, of course, the death penalty.

Meanwhile the man whose bright idea it was to promote single-sex classes in the first place now has, we learn, a 'twenty-year plan' for education in Scotland.

Hmph! Stalin's added up to less.

Jack McConnell: used to be a maths teacher. Disturbing, isn't it?