The interim results of a survey indicate that the majority of teachers retain serious concerns over the re-opening of schools this week.
The EIS opened the survey on Tuesday afternoon and, by Thursday morning, more than 24,000 teachers had completed the survey. The overwhelming message from the interim results is that, while teachers want to see schools re-open, they remain unconvinced that sufficient measures have been put in place to ensure safety.
Key data from the interim survey results includes:
A total of 24,354 teachers completed the survey from its launch on Tuesday 4 August to the morning of Thursday 6 August.
64% of teachers support the decision to re-open schools, but only 18% express confidence that schools are currently safe – indicating that much more needs to be done to ensure safety.
A minority of teachers believe that sufficient safeguards have been put in place to support the safe re-opening of schools.
Just 3% of teachers are ‘very confident’ that there is sufficient evidence that COVID-19 is sufficiently under control to support a safe return to school
Only 23% of teachers are ‘confident or very confident’ that an established capacity to test, trace and isolate is in place to support a safe return, with 58% expressing a lack of confidence.
Under 26% of teachers are confident that sufficient operational changes – such as effective social distancing and enhanced hygiene routines – will be in place to support a safe return to school with 60% lacking confidence.
72% of teachers support testing for asymptomatic members of staff to help supress the spread of COVID
62% of teachers feel either ‘somewhat unsafe’ or ‘very unsafe’ about returning to school next week.
Commenting on the interim findings, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The interim results of this survey highlight that Scotland’s teachers continue to have serious questions over the re-opening of schools next week.”
“The fact that more than 24,000 teachers completed the survey in a little over a day illustrates the high degree of concern that remains over COVID-19 and schools. Teachers want to see schools re-opening, so that they can get back to working with pupils in the classroom environment – but they are very clear that this has to be done safely.”
“The initial indications from this major survey confirm that teachers believe that much more still needs to be done to ensure their safety, and the safety of pupils and others within the school, can be properly protected as schools re-open.
“The EIS will be sharing both the initial and final results of this survey with the Scottish Government and local authorities, and will be seeking urgent discussions on the mitigations that teachers still want to see – such as sufficient social distancing, testing for asymptomatic staff, and the use of face coverings where required to ensure safety.”
The EIS survey will remain open until today (Monday) and full results will be released thereafter.
Edinburgh’s children start the return to school from Wednesday this week.
Care home residents will be able to receive more outdoor visitors from today (Monday, 10 August), Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has confirmed.
From today, care home residents will be able to have up to three outdoor visitors from no more than two households provided their home meets strict criteria, with infection control measures remaining in place.
Since 3 July care homes which have met this criteria have been able to allow residents to meet with one designated visitor outdoors.
A care home will only be able to permit visiting if they have been COVID-free throughout the pandemic or if all affected residents have fully recovered and no residents or staff have had symptoms for 28 days and the home is actively participating in weekly staff testing.
Visitors will need to wear face coverings throughout their visit and physical distancing and hand and cough hygiene will need to be adhered to at all times.
Care home providers have also been asked to develop plans on how they can safely allow one designated indoor visitor for residents within their homes. These plans must be submitted by 24 August and will be signed off by the relevant health board’s Director of Public Health once they are satisfied with the plan and the home meets all the criteria for indoor visiting.
Essential visits, including those involving end of life care, and visits for residents who are experiencing distress have been permitted throughout the pandemic and should continue to be supported by care homes.
Ms Freeman said: “This has been, and continues to be, a very challenging time for care home residents, their families and staff.
“Care homes are first and foremost people’s homes and we are committed to reintroducing measures that allow residents to connect with their family and friends. But this must be done safely and with precautions.
“Progress has been made since we reintroduced one designated outdoor visitor earlier this month, and I am pleased the clinical advice is now that care homes that meet the strict criteria can now allow residents to have up to three outdoor visitors from no more than two households.
“It is important that we continue to monitor this situation and that all changes within care homes happen incrementally and with real caution to protect residents and staff.
“At this point in time clinical advice is not to restart indoor care home visiting, but to ensure the necessary plans are in place to move to this as soon as safe to do so. This is being continually monitored and I hope we can give a further update on this in the coming weeks.
“We are also working to identify the necessary steps needed to restart communal activity within care homes and to reintroduce external outings by residents. This is a complex piece of work and we will of course include key partners in this.”
Scottish Care Chief Executive Donald Macaskill said: “The last few months have been exceptionally hard for folks in our care homes and for their families, being separated with only limited, often virtual, contact.
“At the beginning of July we opened up care homes to outdoor visiting and I am very pleased that in our slow journey back to normal life we can shortly allow the careful start of a degree of indoor visiting subject to local sign off by Public Health Officials. As well as this, it is positive that an increase in the numbers able to visit residents outdoors is now possible.
“Throughout the restoration of family visiting, we have tried to strike the hard balance between getting people back to seeing and being with their families and keeping residents, staff and others safe from the virus. We are very aware of how pernicious this virus is so guidance and measures will remain in place to protect everyone.”
Alzheimer Scotland’s new resources for care homes
Alzheimer Scotland has been working to respond to the main concerns expressed by callers to their 24-hour Freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000) and now have a suite of resources on their website’s Coronavirus Information Hub including podcasts and videos.
Cats Protection is asking cat owners to send in their feline footage for a new set of lockdown-based awards.
Sadly this year’s National Cat Awards, due to take place on 6 August at The Savoy in London, has had to be postponed until Thursday 5 August next year.
In its place, the charity is launching its Alternative Cat Awards 2020, which celebrates how cats and their owners have been keeping each other company during lockdown.
Whether it’s providing companionship, interrupting meetings, disrupting home schooling or getting involved in workouts, Cats Protection would like owners to show just how entertaining and supportive their feline friends have been, by sending in footage.
If your pawsome pal has made an outstanding contribution to your life this year, just upload a video of them to Instagram or Twitter using #AlternativeCatAwards into one of the following categories:
#PurinaPurrfectTeamwork – Celebrating the bond between cats and their owners working or studying during the lockdown period
#MischievousMoggy – Cats with interesting and playful behaviours that may have performed challenges or been a source of entertainment during lockdown
#SeniorKitizen – Mature cats aged 11 years and above
#PurrfectlyImperfect – Celebrating cats living happy, healthy lives with a disability, health issue or superficial aesthetic deformity
#BestNewcomer – Cats adopted from an animal rescue organisation in 2020
Category winners will be announced on Cats Protection’s social media channels throughout the day on Thursday 17 September 2020.
At the end of the day, the public will be asked to vote in a People’s Choice award for their favourite category winner, to be announced on Wednesday 23 September by cat-loving comedian Bob Mortimer.
The awards are sponsored by Cats Protection’s long-term corporate partner PURINA® and the five category winners will receive a bumper pack of Cats Protection goodies worth £100, with the People’s Choice winner also receiving a pair of tickets to next year’s National Cat Awards at The Savoy in London.
An online service of remembrance and concert, as well as a two-minute silence, will lead Scotland’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Victory in Japan (VJ) Day on 15 August.
VJ Day saw the end of the conflict in the Far East and brought the Second World War to a close. Commemorations in Scotland will be led by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Veterans Minister, Graeme Dey.
Mr Dey said: “The 75th anniversary of VJ Day is a time for the nation to come together to remember the sacrifices made by those individuals, from across Scotland and the UK, the Commonwealth and our Allied Nations, which ensured the peace and freedoms we enjoy today.
“All households were impacted in some way by the Second World War and it is important that we learn from those experiences so that the awful events that cost so many lives during the Second World War are never repeated.
“The whole country owes our current and ex-service personnel an immense debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.”
Claire Armstrong, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “Whilst VE Day marked the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, many thousands of Armed Forces personnel were still engaged in bitter fighting in the Far East.
“This campaign saw some of the fiercest fighting of the Second World War and in some of the harshest conditions with many thousands of British and Commonwealth forces and civilians being taken as prisoners of war, enduring terrible mental and physical trauma.
“Victory over Japan came at a heavy price, and VJ Day marks the day Japan surrendered on the 15 August 1945, which in effect ended the Second World War.
“On the 15th of August 2020 we will mark the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day and in partnership with Poppyscotland and Scottish Government we will pay tribute not only to the British forces but the Allied and Commonwealth forces, without whom the defeat of Japan would not have been possible.
“Through our programme of events will highlight the incredible service and sacrifice made by those who fought in the Far East campaign and unite the nation in remembrance of the remarkable WW2 generation.”
The Scottish Government has been working in partnership with Legion Scotland to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day through a series of events:
• The First Minister will feature in Legion Scotland’s online commemoration service and concert, issuing a message of thanks to our Second World War generation. This will be broadcast on Legion Scotland’s social media channels from 10.35, followed by the online concert from 12.00 until 13:00
• Veterans and Representatives from the Armed Forces will join the Veterans Minister Graeme Dey for a two-minute silence to remember all those who lost their lives
• The Red Arrows will perform a flypast of Edinburgh, as the first stop on a UK-wide tour
• Legion Scotland will be issuing medallions in honour of those who made a contribution to the war effort during the Second World War. Applications for commemorative medallions remain open to any individuals who made an contribution to the war effort and can be made via b.ward@legionscotland.org.uk
Social care workers, people over 55 and household members of those who are shielding will all be eligible for the free seasonal flu vaccine. The Scottish Government will look to extend to those aged 50-54, if vaccine supplies allow.
This winter, to protect those most at risk from concurrent infection of COVID-19 and flu, the government is expanding the vaccination programme to new groups and increasing capacity to vaccinate more people than ever before.
Groups who will continue to be eligible for the free flu vaccine include: those aged 65 and over, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, children aged between two and five, primary school children, health care workers and young and unpaid carers.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The seasonal flu vaccination programme helps to protect the most vulnerable and alleviate pressure on the NHS. This will be more important than ever this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s why this flu season, we are extending free eligibility to social care workers who provide direct care, household members of individuals who are shielding, all those aged 55 and over, and those aged 50-54 if vaccine supplies allow.
“We want to reassure those who may now feel anxious about leaving home to get vaccinated. Getting the seasonal flu vaccine, especially when you have free eligibility, is one of the ways that you can support the NHS whilst protecting yourself and others this winter.
“If you think you are eligible for the vaccine, please visit NHS Inform, and if you receive a letter inviting you to get a vaccine, please follow the instructions.”
Interim Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said: “Social care workers often come into contact with those most vulnerable to the seasonal flu, and vaccinating them will help to protect them whilst also providing indirect protection to the people they care for.
“Individuals who are shielding have already been identified as being at a high risk from COVID-19, and this risk is heightened should they contract the virus and seasonal flu at the same time.
“Similarly, vaccinating 55-64 year olds – as well as those aged 50-54 if vaccine supplies allow – will help to protect an age group who are vulnerable to both COVID-19 and the seasonal flu, helping to lower the risk of people getting concurrent cases of both viruses.
Karen Hedge, National Director at Scottish Care said: “Scottish Care welcomes the announcement that social care workers will be able to access free flu jabs.
“This is something we have been in dialogue with the Scottish Government about for some time, and we consider this move to be a real step forward in recognising the critical role of skilled and valuable care staff, protecting both them and also those they support.”
The Scottish Conservatives have called on the SNP government to support a “triple lock” of measures to protect young people at the centre of an exams ‘debacle’.
Pupils opened their National, Higher and Advanced Higher results this week – but an estimated 125,000 grades were lowered following moderation by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
As a result, thousands of students received lower grades than had been estimated by their teachers.
And critics say the methods used by under-fire education chiefs have disproportionately impacted on young people from Scotland’s poorest areas.
On the day pupil protests were held in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs backed a three-point plan to restore public confidence in the system.
The plan sets out:
– a guaranteed turnaround of 14 days for appeals
– appeals to be based on the individual ruling out awards based on a school’s historic performance, demographic, location or SIMD ranking
– the option for every pupil to take an examination in the autumn if they are still unhappy with grades awarded.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Thousands of pupils across Edinburgh and the Lothians have been badly let down by SNP Ministers during this debacle.
“It is clear to everyone that the policy to disproportionately downgrade the results of students from schools in less affluent areas is simply not fair.
“The current situation can not be allowed to stand and steps must be taken to allow pupils to get the results that they deserve.
“These steps, set out by the Scottish Conservatives, would allow students to have every chance to get their proper grades and move forward with their futures.”
Scottish Labour says John Swinney has failed Scotland’s school pupils and they are calling for his resignation.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “This is not a decision we took lightly. Motions of no confidence have been sparingly laid in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
“But in the days since it emerged that thousands of school students had been marked down because of their schools’ past performance, Swinney has failed to acknowledge the scale of the crisis, and he has failed to announce a credible plan for re-dressing it.”
When the results were announced this week, Fiona Robertson, SQA’s Chief Executive and Scotland’s Chief Examining Officer, said: “Everyone receiving their results today can have confidence that their achievements and hard work have been rewarded.
“In a short space of time and amidst uniquely challenging circumstances for everyone, the Scottish education system has come together to ensure that candidates in 2020 can be certificated. This is a strong set of results and they should feel very proud of their achievements. They can now progress with confidence, to continued education, training or employment.
We have:
Delivered fairness to learners, through a consistent, evidence-based approach to awarding, supported by an Equalities Impact Assessment and a Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment.
Ensured safe and secure certification of our qualifications, taking difficult decisions when needed, following public health advice; and
Maintained the integrity and credibility of our qualifications system, ensuring that standards are maintained over time, in the interests of learners, through judicious moderation of grades.
Full information on our approach to certification is being published today.
I would like to thank the thousands of teachers and lecturers, SQA co-ordinators, school and college staff, local authorities, professional associations and national organisations, who have worked together to provide us with their candidates’ estimated grades, without which we would not be able to issue certificates today.
I would also like to acknowledge my sincere appreciation to all SQA staff and appointees who have worked very hard to deliver.”
SCQF level
National Qualification
2020 Entries
2020 Attainment
2020Attainment rate
2019 Entries
2019 Attainment
2019 Attainment rate
SCQF 2
National 2†
2,015
1,518
75.3%
2,070
1,596
77.1%
SCQF 3
National 3†
21,802
19,947
91.5%
19,285
16,958
87.9%
Skills for Work†
30
30
100%
13
0
0.0%
SCQF 4
National 4†
103,625
94,228
90.9%
104,866
92,845
88.5%
Skills for Work†
4,084
3,219
78.8%
3,698
2,869
77.6%
SCQF 5
National 5*
300,344
243,572
81.1%
288,552
225,594
78.2%
Skills for Work†
10,345
8,860
85.6%
8,023
6,633
82.7%
SCQF 6
Higher*
185,844
146,643
78.9%
185,914
138,972
74.8%
Skills for Work†
223
170
76.2%
204
160
78.4%
SCQF 7
Advanced Higher*
23,570
20,010
84.9%
23,460
18,627
79.4%
Total
651,882
636,085
Scottish Baccalaureate*
152
116
76.3%
157
109
69.4%
* For National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher, which are graded, the attainment and attainment rate is based on Grade A-C attainment. The Scottish Baccalaureate attainment is based on the total number of passes (“Distinction” or “Pass” outcomes).
†For National 2 to National 4, and Skills for Work courses, which are ungraded, the attainment and attainment rate is based on entries which have resulted in a pass.
English
There were 46,626 entries at National 5 in 2020, (45,593 in 2019) with an A-C attainment rate of 87.6% (86.3% in 2019). At Higher level there were 36,205 entries (35,461 in 2019), with an A-C attainment rate of 76.6% (73.2% in 2019).
Mathematics
There were 41,141 entries at National 5 (41,586 in 2019), with an A-C attainment rate of 66.7%, (65.5% in 2019). At Higher level there were 19,160 entries (18,626 in 2019), with an A-C attainment rate of 72.3% (72.4% in 2019).
Applications of Mathematics
There were 10,430 entries at National 5, (4,458 in 2019) with an A-C attainment rate of 67.3% (58.5% in 2019).
Comparison of 2020 estimates versus prior attainment levels
The charts below provide A to C attainment rates for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher from 2016-2019, attainment rate estimates for 2020 and attainment results for 2020.
The A to C attainment rates in 2020 are:
At National 5, 243,572 or 81.1% (225,594 or 78.2% in 2019)
At Higher is 146,643 or 78.9% (138,972 or 74.8% in 2019), and
Advanced Higher is 20,010 or 84.9% (18,627 or 79.4% in 2019).
National 5
National 5 attainment % comparison20162017201820192020 Estimates2020 Results020406080100Attainment %JS chart by amCharts
Higher
Higher attainment % comparison20162017201820192020 Estimates2020 Results020406080100Attainment %JS chart by amCharts
National Progression Awards (NPAs), National Certificates (NCs) and SQA Awards
National Progression Awards (NPAs) and National Certificates (NCs)
Attainment figures for National Progression Awards (NPAs) and National Certificates (NCs) are also included. In total, 16,230 NPAs and 4,284 NCs have been achieved (13,136 NPAs and 4,873 NCs in 2019). NPAs are designed to assess a defined set of skills and knowledge in specialist vocational areas, such as Construction and Childcare.
National Certificates are designed to prepare people for employment, career development or progression to more advanced study in areas such as Sound Production and Fabrication and Welding Engineering.
SQA Awards
Attainment figures for SQA Awards are included in the statistics. In total, 31,428 have been achieved in 2020 (26,735 in 2019).
SQA Awards are designed to develop and provide evidence of specific skills that will help learners in the world of work and everyday life. Awards include Modern Languages for Life and Work, Employability, Scottish Studies and Enterprise.
Attainment
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
SCQF level 1
Awards
399
439
386
290
283
SCQF level 2
Awards
912
1,004
664
1,167
750
National Progression Awards
91
69
121
88
77
SCQF level 3
Awards
4,253
4,428
3,937
4,303
3,863
National Certificates
5
7
0
1
18
National Progression Awards
207
100
142
177
135
SCQF level 4
Awards
11,736
10,292
9,851
10,834
11,391
National Certificates
166
223
213
345
371
National Progression Awards
4,321
4,371
4,759
4,803
4,958
SCQF level 5
Awards
8,232
5,184
3,755
3,662
2,907
National Certificates
1,465
1,809
2,450
2,691
4,103
National Progression Awards
5,915
5,252
4,604
4,395
4,958
SCQF level 6
Awards
5,896
5,388
4,258
3,523
2,710
National Certificates
2,648
2,834
3,538
3,585
4,920
National Progression Awards
5,696
3,344
2,848
1,619
1,611
TOTAL
51,942
44,744
41,526
41,483
43,055
Skills for Work
Skills for Work courses – available across SCQF levels 3-6, are also included in the attainment statistics. In total, 12,279 Skills for Work courses have been achieved, (9,662 in 2019).
Skills for Work courses focus on the world of work and the generic employability skills needed for success in the workplace. The courses offer opportunities for learners to acquire these critical generic employability skills through a variety of practical experiences that are linked to a particular vocational area such as construction, hairdressing, and hospitality.
Young people taking one of these Skills for Work courses will normally spend some of their time at a local college, other training provider or employer.
The SQA’s full awarding methodology, Equality Impact Assessment and Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment reports have also been published in full as planned.
With exams cancelled because of coronavirus, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) downgraded many of the assessments made by teachers, bringing accusations of disproportionately affecting the results of pupils from schools in areas of deprivation which traditionally present fewer successful pupils for exams.
Education Secretary John Swinney,who now faces a vote of no confidence at Holyrood, has said he understands the concerns of pupils and he will address these concerns when he makes a statement to parliament on Tuesday.
A FIRE service Watch Commander revealed how his training helped save the life of someone trapped inside a burning car, as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service launches a new recruitment drive.
Operations Control staff member Marc Benedictus received the urgent 999 call following a road traffic collision near Perth and immediately mobilised firefighters and the correct resources to the scene.
He drew upon his skills and experience to ensure that the person was rescued and no one else was hurt.
Marc spoke about his vital role as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service launches the national campaign to recruit Operations Control staff based across the service’s three control rooms in Johnstone, Dundee and Edinburgh.
The recruitment drive opens tomorrow (Monday, August 10).
Marc, a Watch Commander based at Dundee Operations Control, said: “Some calls absolutely stick with you – and this one was particularly challenging.
“Someone was trapped in the burning car after a bad collision and we had received a number of 999 calls, and all of them were from people who were naturally panicking or asking for advice.”
He added: “We have to balance giving advice to the caller while getting as much information as possible to enable us to quickly mobilise the correct resources for the emergency from the right location.
“It can be very intense but those crews arrived very quickly and were able to rescue that person from the burning car and no other person was hurt. It was very rewarding to be able to draw upon my training and experience to help others.
“That’s why I don’t think there’s any other job like it – this is different to a call centre job, and no one should come in thinking that. This is a career full of opportunities, teamwork, challenges, and even new qualifications.
“It is mentally challenging role, with a lot of training – but the reward is most certainly worth it.”
From Monday, SFRS will be accepting applications for permanent roles at all three operations control rooms.
Successful applicants will join fellow Operations Control staff during a 14 week training period – learning how to co-ordinate emergency fire and rescue response to everything from house fires and road traffic collisions, to major incidents and severe weather related flooding.
Trainees will also learn how to give potentially life-saving advice, providing fire survival guidance to people who are trapped by smoke or fire.
And Marc says it is these calls that can be the most challenging of all. He said: “These calls can be difficult – you are on the line to someone who is in a life-threatening situation and you are their lifeline.
“It’s important to stay calm for them, give strong and direct instructions and survival advice, while working with your team to mobilise resources and direct local firefighters to the exact location of the person who is trapped.
“The relief you feel when you hear the sirens in the background or the firefighters entering the room is incredible.”
Following the 14-week initial training course, Operations Control staff continue to train daily to hone their skills and experience and ensure they are ready to respond to as many eventualities as possible to protect communities.
Area Commander Libby Logan is the head of Operations Control across Scotland. She said: “We need motivated individuals who are serious about serving and protecting Scotland’s communities.
“If you think you are suited to the role, then our fantastic training team will support you every step of the way.
“Our Operations Control rooms are tight-knit teams, who work with local firefighters to respond to emergency calls across Scotland.
“A willingness to learn, a strong team ethic, the ability to stay calm under pressure while handling numerous tasks and a real ability to motivate others and form relationships are all essential attributes – we want the best of the best to take up these roles on Scotland’s unseen frontline.”
Almost £4 million has been allocated by the Drug Deaths Taskforce to projects to support its work reducing harm and deaths.
The taskforce has announced the Scottish Government funding for research and front-line services to help tackle the drug deaths public health emergency over the next year:
£1 million for 10 research projects examining different approaches to tackling the public health emergency
£3 million for Scotland’s Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to deliver on the six evidence-based strategies set out by the Taskforce to reduce drug deaths and drug harms
The taskforce, which has now been operating for a year, also launched a new website to inform stakeholders, service providers, people who use drugs and their families on their work.
In addition, a new strategy to tackle stigma will encourage a more informed and compassionate approach towards people who use drugs and their families. Over its first year it has gathered evidence which shows stigma is one of the main factors preventing people from seeking treatment.
Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “I want to thank Professor Catriona Matheson and all the members of Scotland’s Drug Deaths Taskforce for their hard work in its first year.
“This is not a problem with a quick solution and I know they have spent many hours gathering evidence about the true extent of this emergency and developing and implementing strategies to tackle it. This funding will enable it to act using what it has learned from individuals’ lived experiences.
“I’ve travelled all over the country meeting as many people who use drugs and service providers as possible and I have been told repeatedly that stigma is a real barrier to people accessing treatment.
“Stigma can come from many sources, but most damaging is self-stigma where people believe they are not worthy of support. It is costing lives every day in Scotland and I believe this new strategy will help us tackle what is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges we face.”
Professor Catriona Matheson, Chair of the Drug Deaths Taskforce, said: “Since the taskforce first met in September 2019, we have been urgently reviewing evidence of what can best address Scotland’s unique challenge, and putting that evidence in action.
“The Annual Report details our progress in identifying critical lines of enquiry and actions to take us forward. The taskforce recognises that we all need to get away from a search for a mythical, single, magic bullet and towards a programme of implemented strategies that not only works but engenders a new level of trust, sharing and collaboration in Scotland’s key agencies. We believe in positive, sustainable change.”
Nesta, the innovation foundation, is supporting creators to revolutionise the age-old art of storytelling to fit a modern world, from InstaNovels to watching Romeo and Juliet’s relationship blossom over WhatsApp – and two of the shortlisted writers are from Edinburgh.
Nesta has shortlisted and supported 9 writers with £1.5k of development funding, mentor sessions with experienced digital writers and a creative technologist, and 3 months of R&D time
In the autumn, one of these 9 writers will be awarded £15,000 based on innovation in form, interface and interactivity, as well as in overall quality of content
The works can be tested and experienced on the BBC Taster website from 7 August until 14 September, with Nesta asking young people to give feedback to help select the final winner
The Alternarratives Prize encouraged storytellers to imagine how short stories told in creative ways could help re-engage young people with the act of reading, focusing on those aged 13-16.
In one of their recent reports the National Literacy Trust found that reading enjoyment levels in children and young people had continued to decline and are at their lowest since 2013, only 53% said they enjoyed reading in 2019 vs 58.63% in 2016.
Daily reading levels are also at their lowest, with just 25.8% of children in 2019 saying they read daily in their free time. Nesta is seeking ways to encourage young people to read more via accessible and familiar mediums, technology and language.
The finalists include:
Viccy Adams, Edinburgh – Explore an abandoned theme park in Berlin while you listen to this audio short story of teenage self-discovery. Spree is designed to be experienced on a computer: get your laptop out, turn up the volume and enjoy getting lost.
Gavin Inglis, Edinburgh – The Reader Remix invites active participation in an audiobook by adding layers of music beneath the narration, which the reader can manipulate. The R&D period of this project will produce new spoken and musical content, and experiment with existing tools for their delivery.
John Dinneen, London – Introducing the Insta Short, for a new generation of storytellers. This first-of-a-kind, contemporary Instagram short story tells the fictional account of Nel, an aspiring artist who finds support for her artwork online. Nel’s account is inseparable from social media and so naturally told through it. At the end of it all, Nel’s story will leave you ever more conflicted about the possibilities and the dangers of life lived online.
Emma Hill, Manchester – “I have ten minutes to tell you everything.” After Words is a story to a young person, from the adult who cares for them, designed to last a lifetime of them being apart from each other. Read the story once straight through, and then read it again slowly, many times, exploring all the links on the page. Each read through tells a different piece of the story, exploring connection, distance and the stories we leave behind.
Rachael Hodge and Felicity Brown, Oxford – WillPlay: Romeo & Juliet will take the form of a WhatsApp-style group chat, allowing young people to engage with Shakespeare’s story and interact with his characters via a familiar, accessible medium. The reader/player will be cast as a character in three key scenes, invited to take part in the conversation, in order to move through the narrative, sending it in new and exciting directions.
Thomas McMullan, London – The Unsettled Ground. A file lands on your desktop: the last documents of the journalist Angus Bead. A small town has been wiped off the map, and you must unravel what happened by searching through Bead’s articles, diaries, notes, strange stories and troubling testimony. Draw your own connections. Read like a detective.
Jasmine Richards, Oxford – Earworm is an immersive short story experience on your phone that tells the tale of Ayesha and a creature called Earworm. The Earworm reveals people’s true intentions through sound and music. Using small sections of text, chat stories, and immersive soundscapes with embedded audio cues the reader will learn the truth of Earworm and the secrets of those around Ayesha. The reader will also get to produce their own piece of music.
Ben Samuels at Limbik Theatre, London – The Garden combines the written word with ambisonic, spatial audio, bringing a new layer of immersion to the act of reading. The dark, magic realism of The Garden of Earthly Delights is designed to be accompanied by an ambisonic audio soundtrack, played through headphones linked to a phone or tablet. The soundscape supports the narrative, locating, placing, and immersing them within the world of the story.
Shane Strachan, Aberdeen – Do we control technology or does it control us? Jenna took part in IMBED-X’s tech experiment in January 2020 and has since vanished. Adam needs Instagram, Google and you to help find her in this thrilling online mystery. Told across multiple Instagram stories and accounts, this narrative encourages readers to use online tools such as Google Translate and Google Books to help find Jenna by harnessing the power of language, literature and digital connection. Along the way, the story also encourages young readers to reflect on how embedded technology is in their lives and to question whether or not they have an over-reliance on it.
Fran Sanderson, Nesta’s Director of Arts and Culture Programmes and Investments said: “With Alternarratives, our aim is to encourage writers to experiment in their practice. In this pilot year, we had the more specific target of changing the way young people think about and engage with reading.
“The way we consume narrative content has changed rapidly, and this has accelerated in the pandemic. The shift towards an experience economy, perhaps in addition to a more general sense of a lack of control, has led audiences to expect more agency and interaction, and we believe this can be an opportunity for literary storytelling.
“We wanted to explore how we can support writers to be more innovative and think outside the linear format. We have been amazed by the creative ideas these writers had, and humbled by their tenacity and ingenuity in the R&D phase – it’s been a real privilege to see these projects turn into a reality, and we’re incredibly excited to share them with the public, especially the young people we’re hoping to reach.”
Police are appealing for information following the theft of four high valued pedal cycles. The bikes were stolen from a vehicle which was in a car park in the Haymarket area sometime between Tuesday 4 August 2020 and Thursday 6 August 2020.
They are described as:
1. Black and red Trek Rail 9.8 (2020) E-Bike, medium size carbon frame with ‘Trek’ in black writing. The motor within the bike is Bosch.
2. Lime coloured Whyte S150 bike, large sized carbon frame, with an oval golden chain ring. The bike has Magura MT8 branded brakes with 220mm discs, orange pedals and grips.
3. Blue and white Trek Fuel women’s specific design, small alloy frame, Sram Juicy RS branded brakes with red pedals and 26 inch wheels.
4. Brown Cheetah custom build, extra small alloy frame and 26 inch wheels. It has Whyte DT Rear Suspension which is unique with an adjustable seat post (which is adjustable from the handle bars). It has blue grips and blue pedals.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 quoting incident 0942 of 6 August 2020. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.
And, completely unrelated …
Get on your bike! Cycle sales skyrocket at Cash Converters
More active lockdown lifestyles have seen cycle sales skyrocket – almost doubling – at UK Cash Converters stores after they re-opened their doors to customers in June.
With lockdown restrictions slowly easing throughout the UK, Brits are now enjoying the great outdoors more than ever, and it looks like more and more families are gearing up to get on two wheels during the school holidays this summer.
New stats from the UK’s leading retailer of second-hand goods, Cash Converters, show bike sales have soared by 74 per cent since re-opening, as thousands turn to its booming high street bargain stores for their new bicycles.
The figures, which cover the initial three-week sales period after non-essential stores were reopened across the UK last month, show the huge spike in cycle sales after lockdown compared to the same period previously.
And it’s not just bikes. More savvy shoppers aiming to bag a bargain are turning to Cash Converters stores and its hugely popular online webshop, with sales of leisure equipment, phones, laptops and the latest tech all rising significantly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Peter Hall, CEO at Cash Converters UK said: “The past few months have been challenging for everyone across the country, with restrictions and limitations greatly impacting the ways we’re able to work, exercise and socialise.
“Now that we can get out and about more freely again, many people have turned to new hobbies and outdoor activities, and we’ve seen huge increases in the sale of so many second-hand goods in our stores – particularly bikes. We’ve also seen increases in other hobby items, such as musical instruments and fishing equipment.
“As a second-hand retailer our prices are always extremely competitive and more people are starting to look for used rather than new because the quality is still there, but it comes with a lower price tag. When it comes to gaming, jewellery, baking equipment, DIY tools and everything else in between, people are turning to Cash Converters more than ever.
“And it’s not just about buying from us, if people are keen to unlock the value of their unused goods, jewellery, tech and other household items – or they need to make space in their home – they’re able to sell those to us for cash there and then or use our buy back service.”
Cash Converters is a franchised retailer which buys and sells pre-owned goods in 196 stores throughout the country. For more information, visit https://www.cashconverters.co.uk/.
