You know that famous quote about statistics...

STACS...

It's that time of year when our statistical chickens come home to roost. Each department is issued with a STACS analysis of their results.

Maybe someone can explain the statistical validity of the statement indicating that one gender in AH French have under-performed (our one candidate of this gender got an A). Maybe I am ill qualified to judge but statistically to me this means 100% success.

There was also the line about SG German achievement being below par when compared to predictions in other subject areas...MFL is not an elective in S3 & S4 unlike most other subjects (apart from core of course).

When are we going stop paying number crunchers huge amounts of money which generate meaningless figures which mean that teachers get to fill in more and more paperwork just to make sure that statistics add up.

As a frontline grunt can somebody tell me whether the much anticipated Curriculum for Excellence is going to put a halt all this, or if not halt it make these analyses make more sense to those of us who deliver education day after day?