With the elections for Scotland’s local authorities happening on May 5th, it is important to emphasise the vital role councils play in helping blind and partally sighted people to live as independently and inclusively as possible.
People with a visual impairment are more likely to depend on services from their local council, for information that’s readily available in alternative formats, public transport that’s accessible, streets and thoroughfares that allow people to walk safely and without obstacles, education that allows every child to reach their full potential, and employment that’s informed by a better understanding of what those with sight loss can do.
Around 178,000 people are currently living with a significant degree of sight loss in Scotland, of whom over 4,000 are children and young people. Our ageing population and the increase in sight-theatening conditions such as diabetes means this number will, inevitably, grow.
Let’s make one positive legacy of the upheaval we’ve all been through a resolve to make sure we re-emerge as a society in which no one is left at the margins.
Our local authorities are absolutely key to this.
James Adams
Director, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland
Medical Research Scotland, Scotland’s largest independent medical research charity, has helped more than 350 young people across Scotland connect with the country’s leading scientists and academics to learn about further education and careers in medical science.
Reaching 350 pupils from more than 30 schools across the country, the Medical Research Scotland Academy aims to inspire the next generation of scientists so they can play a role in addressing the STEM skills shortage in Scotland.
The participating local Edinburgh schools were St George’s School, Stewart’s Melville College, The Edinburgh Academy and The Mary Erskine School
S4, S5 and S6 pupils joined the Medical Research Scotland Academy for a month of live-streamed interactive lessons broadcast to science classrooms across Scotland – from Aberdeen to Dumfries.
The programme was provided to schools free of charge, featuring inspiring young scientists at the cutting edge of their field alongside senior university lecturers. The bitesize sessions are also available on-demand at medicalresearchscotland.org.uk.
One school to benefit was Bishopbriggs Academy where pupils learned about medical research into viruses, the brain, sleep and parasites alongside many other topics from research scientists at the University of Aberdeen, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, University of St Andrews and the University of Strathclyde.
Lesley Dawson, teacher at Bishopbriggs Academy, said:“While the pandemic has caused huge challenges for the education sector, it has also inspired our pupils to find out more about medical research and they were excited to access this live streamed education programme.
“The Medical Research Scotland Academy was an opportunity to connect our students with inspirational scientists. The webinar series has ignited our pupils’ passion for science and provided a taste of the higher education and career opportunities open to them.”
Medical Research Scotland works tirelessly to improve health in Scotland by funding world-class research into the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases.
Professor Heather Wallace, PhD (Aberdeen), Chair of Medical Research Scotland, said: “Scotland has a proud tradition of developing world class research scientists making pioneering discoveries and improving global health.
“Through the Medical Research Scotland Academy, we aimed to inspire and connect the next generation with Scotland’s leading medical professionals and academics. Bringing together schools from across the country, we’ve seen first-hand the huge interest in medical science amongst school leavers.”
Scotland’s headteachers will receive more than half a billion pounds of secured funding over the next four years to help close the attainment gap.
Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) totalling £520 million will be distributed to schools in every council area to help headteachers put in place more support for children and young people.
Edinburgh’s share of PEF is over £7.86 million.
The funding has been confirmed for multiple years to provide more certainty for headteachers and allow for longer-term planning.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Tackling the poverty-related attainment gap and giving every young person the chance to fulfil their full potential remains our priority, and we are investing an increased £1 billion through schools and local authorities over the course of this Parliament to support this ambition.
“Our headteachers and teachers know their pupils best and have told us that our measures are working. We are determined to ensure they are empowered to take the approaches that are right for the children and young people in their schools to help improve attainment.
“Our allocation of more than £520 million of PEF for the next four years will give headteachers the confidence and security they need to plan long term. However, we know schools can’t do this alone, and headteachers should work in partnership with each other, Education Scotland and their local authority, to agree the use of the funding.”
St Francis Primary School headteacher Margot MacAlister said: “Pupil Equity Funding has been key in allowing me to deliver my vision for the community I serve. From the beginning it has provided me with stability in terms of funding posts previously reliant on my devolved budget.
“This has allowed me to build purposeful and trusting working relationships with partners over time that bring a great richness to a child’s learning experience.
“Our nurture programme and now our EXCEL programme has become embed in the culture and ethos of the school and addresses the whole child now and in the future.”
A budget of over £3million is being committed to support more young people into training, education or workplace opportunities over the next year.
This is being done by the City of Edinburgh Council, as part of the Young Person’s Guarantee (YPG) funding from the Scottish Government, as Scotland’s Capital looks to build a stronger, fairer and more sustainable economy.
The help that young people can expect to receive through these programmes will include mental health support, early skills training, practical skills training, as well as in-work support and mentoring as they progress into employment. In particular, young people who find it difficult to access opportunities will be targeted to help them to either prepare or give them the tools to find work.
As part of the initiatives, a further small grant opportunity for third-party employability programmes will be opening in April on the Joined Up for Jobs website.
YPG funding will also go to the NHS to run a new programme for care experienced young people who are looking for work experience, as well as a Job Creation Scheme to support progression from current YPG paid placements. This will offer funding to support the first year of up to 20 Modern or Graduate Apprenticeships within the Council and third sector organisations who are currently providing work placements.
The city’s five Activity Agreement Hubs will also benefit from additional funding. The Hubs work with young people who have left school without a positive destination, or who drop out of college, training or their first job, to gain the skills they need to move into education or employment.
In addition, in a separate report to HHFW, it was agreed that funding from the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee will be used to support a new pilot programme that will look to enhance Employer Recruitment Incentives (ERIs) by offering an uplift to match the Real Living Wage where the employee is from a disadvantaged household and starting a Modern Apprenticeship or gaining a recognised qualification.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee said:“Thanks to this funding, we are able to continue supporting existing programmes, as well as new projects, that are having a real impact for young people.
“There are so many good ideas and new, innovative programmes by organisations across the city that will help get people’s education and career goals back on track after what’s been a very disrupting time.
“We’re particularly mindful of the impact the pandemic has had on young people and people facing additional barriers. That’s why we also want to make sure that we continue to reach every area of the city by making sure the programmes we fund cover every community.
“The Young Person’s Guarantee grant programme will help to increase those opportunities and will complement the already extensive support provided across the city.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said:“Our Edinburgh Guarantee promises that no one will be left behind.
“Through the continuation of this small grant programme for another year we hope to make sure those who need our help will be given the opportunity to access the support they need – whether that’s for training or career aspirations – to reach their goals. We also want to make sure that this is spread out across the city and that those experiencing the greatest barriers get the most help from these grant programmes.”
Three national organisations are to be announced – created to drive improvement in education.
A new public body will be responsible for developing and awarding qualifications. It will replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and it will have a governance structure that is more representative of, and accountable to, learners, teachers and practitioners.
A national agency for education will see Education Scotland (ES) replaced. The new executive agency will provide improved support and professional learning to teachers and schools, and provide advice and guidance on curriculum, assessment, learning and teaching.
Thirdly, a new and independent inspectorate body will be created. It will develop new inspection models and help to assess the overall performance of Scottish education.
The organisations will be required to work more closely with learners and education professionals.
ES and SQA will continue to deliver their functions while the new bodies are being developed, ensuring continuity for learners, including those sitting exams.
The new organisations were announced as part of the Scottish Government’s response to a report on reform of the SQA and ES by independent adviser Professor Ken Muir, University of the West of Scotland.
The Scottish Government has broadly accepted all of Professor Muir’s recommendations, including making a commitment to lead a national discussion on the vision for the future of education.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The three new education bodies will be underpinned by new values and governance. I have also announced my intention to work in partnership to build a new vision for Scottish education.
“These changes are designed to improve outcomes and build trust in Scotland’s education system. Our renewed system must reflect the culture and values we want to see embedded throughout; it must be a system that puts learners at the centre and provides excellent support for our teachers and practitioners.
“It must also be a system where there is clear accountability – democratic accountability, organisational accountability but also accountability to the learners, who have a right to expect the highest quality of learning and teaching while giving them the best chance of success.”
Professor Muir said: “As our students and society change over time, so too do our expectations of what we want and need from our education system. It is important that Scottish education reflects and responds to those changes in ways that offer opportunities for all current and future learners to thrive.
“The recommendations in my report are designed to ensure that the needs of every individual learner lie at the heart of all decisions taken and all that we do.
“They are designed to ensure that the voices of learners, teachers and practitioners have greater prominence and influence in decision making and that teachers and practitioners receive the support they need in carrying out their challenging and critically important teaching role.”
A new partnership approach will be embedded across the education and skills system to ensure employers and government are working together to deliver training opportunities for the new green jobs of the future.
Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation recognises the critical importance of providing the current and future workforce with lifetime access to learning new skills, upskilling and retraining as part of plans to unlock Scotland’s economic potential.
The strategy sets out how public, private and third sector partnerships can work together to help make Scotland’s workforce more agile and support employers to invest in emerging economic opportunities.
This work is designed to help build a fairer and more equal society by ensuring economic transformation tackles inequality and drives up working standards and improves pay.
Actions include:
working collaboratively with employers and unions to increase investment in upskilling and retraining to better meet the needs of employers and employees in Scotland’s transition to net zero
supporting and incentivising employees, and their employers, to invest in skills and training throughout their working lives
expanding Scotland’s available talent pool, at all skills levels, to give employers the skills pipeline they need to take advantage of opportunities
implementing the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan to align Scotland’s skills system with business needs to reach net zero
implementing the next phase of the Green Jobs Workforce Academy and launching a new skills guarantee for workers in carbon intensive industries
developing proposals for a national digital academy to open up access to a range of subjects for all learners
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “The next decade will be decisive for Scotland’s economy and a key part of achieving our enormous economic potential will be investing in one of our greatest economic assets – our people.
“We want to build on the success of our Young Person’s Guarantee, Future Skills Action Plan and our investment in the Green Jobs Workforce Academy to create a skills system that offers lifetime access to new skills and retraining.
“A collaborative approach across all sectors will support our commitment to lifelong learning to ensure people across Scotland can access the tools they need for the jobs of the future and to participate in the labour market. This will also support employers to access incentives to invest in emerging economic opportunities which has the potential to lead to new jobs, new skills, and new ideas.”
Almost half of Scottish pupils go on to higher education
A record 95.5% of pupils were in a ‘positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year.
Latest figures published yesterday also show 45.1% of school leavers went on to higher education courses at college or university – the highest since records began in 2009-10.
The gap between those from the most and least deprived communities achieving a positive destination was the lowest since 2009-10.
The statistics show that for National Qualifications:
87.7% of school leavers achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 5 (eg National 5) or better – up from 85.7% in 2019-20 and 77.1% in 2009-10
66% achieved at least one pass at SCQF Level 6 (eg Higher) or better – up from 63.9% in 2019-20 and 50.4% in 2009-10
the gap narrowed between the proportion of pupils from the most and least deprived areas leaving school with at least one pass at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 or better
the proportion of school leavers achieving vocational awards to support them into the workplace continued to increase
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 95.5% of pupils were in positive destinations three months after leaving school. This reflects the resilience and hard work of our young people and all who have supported them during the past two turbulent years.
“The narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap shown by the figures is also very welcome. So, too, is the increase in the proportion of pupils gaining vocational qualifications and in those going on to higher education in college and university.
“It is important, though, to view the statistics against the backdrop of COVID-19. Exams had to be cancelled for two years and National Qualifications were awarded using different methods. The pandemic will also have affected the choices made by some school leavers and the opportunities available to them.
“Our focus remains on ensuring that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential in school and beyond.”
Commenting on the Scottish Government’s statistics for initial destinations for school leavers (2020/21), a spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition – an alliance of leading children’s care providers – said: “We greatly welcome the increase in school leavers with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems, entering a positive destination three months after leaving mainstream school.
“This includes the likes of further education, higher education, employment and training.
“The gap between those school leavers with ASN and those with no ASN in a positive destination has decreased from 5.8 per cent for 2019/20 to 4.2 per cent in 2020/21.
“It is deeply encouraging to see an increase in the percentage of school leavers with ASN in a positive destination and to note that this gap is narrowing when compared with those with no ASN.
“The key here is to ensure that we maintain this position when the statistics are published for those in a positive destination nine months after leaving school. The figures for 2019/20 showed a disappointing decrease on the previous year, and it is important that increased resourcing is targeted at those individuals with ASN to give them the best possible opportunities, both in the classroom and as they transition beyond it.2
“This is clearly challenging in an environment of austerity, however, the cost to society in the long term if adequate resourcing is not provided will far outweigh any potential savings made today.”
Students facing financial hardship due to the cost of living crisis and rising energy costs can apply for more support.
This week more than £5 million has been distributed to help Higher Education students in financial hardship with basics like heating and other household costs. This is part of a £37 million hardship funding provided by the Scottish Government since June 2021.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will meet colleges’ Further Education student support funding requirements, and have also provided a further £6 million for financial support for FE students, in this academic year.
Higher and Further Education Minister Jamie Hepburn has written to college and university principals, asking them to encourage students most in need to apply and to prioritise allocation of funding.
To further support students, Mr Hepburn has announced:
a £350 loan uplift for 2022-23 in higher education. This means that the most disadvantaged students can access £8,100 per year through bursary and loan
the introduction of a new 12 monthly payment option in 2022-23 for higher education students receiving the Care Experienced Bursary, so support is also available over the summer months
Mr Hepburn said: “Many students are facing higher energy bills and increased financial hardship as a result of the cost of living crisis.
“I have written to university and college principals asking them to ensure that discretionary funds remain accessible for students most in need and that in distributing funds, they should take account of the impact rising energy prices will be having on students, particularly those in private rented accommodation.
“I have also asked them to add students facing rising energy bills to the priority groups so they can access the funds. Students can also apply for support through the Fuel Insecurity Fund, which is distributed through third sector organisations.”
More than 40 young Indian women now equipped with new skills and regular income
Scotmid Co-operative has helped more than forty young women in India develop new skills and secure a regular income through a partnership with co-ops across the UK.
When the Delta variant hit India with devastating effect last year, Scotmid and a group of co-operative retailers collectively raised over £100,000 to support the crisis response, initially providing essential basic supplies, health kits and education.
The support evolved to helping young female workers to grow a sustainable future out of the pandemic through a two-year incubator programme to help them develop skills in journalism, graphic design, photography, new media, research methodology and report writing.
Pranaliben, a 20-year-old woman from Ahmedabad City, is one of the women who will benefit from this support. After completing her graduate studies from a local university, Pranaliben struggled to find sustained employment which was made worse by the pandemic.
Through her mother, a member of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), she got in touch with SEWA Cooperative Federation and learnt about cooperatives. Now she is eager to work together with young women like herself and lead her own cooperative.
Co-operatives UK worked with the Co-operative College and Co-op News to co-ordinate the appeal, partnering with SEWA in India who are delivering the programme.
Mirai Chatterjee, Chairperson SEWA Cooperative Federation said: “Women in India mainly work informally meaning their earnings can be unreliable and as soon as the crisis hit many lost their income overnight.
“Thanks to the vital support provided by our co-operative friends in the UK, we’re helping them to form two grassroots co-operatives to create a sustainable livelihood for themselves.
“As well as learning technical skills in communications and research, around forty young women will develop leadership and business management skills, and we’re developing market links to help them secure regular work and provide income security.”
Harry Cairney, Scotmid President, said: “This worthwhile partnership demonstrates the strength of co-operation. We’re proud to be a part of this initiative to grant young women in India, like Pranaliben, the necessary skills and opportunities needed to secure a regular income.”
During the initial crisis period, £70,000 of the donation from Scotmid and other UK co-ops was used to provide emergency support. This included the distribution of 4,000 household health kits, with masks, soap and immune boosters distributed across eight states of India.
Lifesaving information about the symptoms and spread of Covid was also provided to families in rural and low-income urban areas – to dispel myths and provide accurate health information.
The remaining £30,000 is now being used to deliver a two-year programme supporting the development of two young women’s incubator co-operatives.
A grassroots media co-operative will support young women to build capacity in media, journalism, graphic design, photography and new media, whilst a second grassroots co-operative will focus on research, conducting surveys, focus group discussion and report writing.
Pupils in Aberdeen were joined by special guests on Monday to celebrate the strides they have been making to get more active on the school run and to launch the search for the UK’s best young designers.
Cllr Malik, the Education Convener joined pupils from St Joseph’s Catholic RC Primary School in Aberdeen to hear first-hand the benefits they have experienced from walking to school.
St Joseph’s RC Primary School takes part in WOW – the walk to school challenge from Living Streets Scotland, part of the UK charity for everyday walking.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. Pupils who walk, wheel, cycle or scoot at least once a week for a month are rewarded with a badge.
Cllr Malik joined Living Streets’ mascot, Strider, to hand out WOW badges to pupils who had travelled actively this month.
Councillor M Tauqeer Malik, Aberdeen City Council’s Education Operational Delivery Convener, said:“It is wonderful to be here today to celebrate the great work that the St Joseph’s pupils and staff are doing in partnership with Living Streets and which really ties in with our priorities as a Council.
“The health and wellbeing of our children and young people is at the heart of everything we do as can be seen from our progress towards becoming a Unicef -recognised Child Friendly City and last year’s unprecedented Summer of Play which saw us provide over 15000 free bookable activity sessions as we celebrated coming out of lockdown.
“Congratulations to everyone involved in making St Joseph’s an even healthier and happier school”.
The school event also marked the launch of Living Streets’ WOW Badge Design Competition 2022. The charity is on the hunt for the UK’s best young designers and is asking children to design the 11 badges to be awarded to pupils next academic year. This year’s theme is ‘Walk Through Time’.
Chris Thompson, School Manager, Living Streets Scotland said:“From Aberdeen to Aberystwyth, the hunt is on for the UK’s best young designers. Winners will have the pride of seeing their creations worn by pupils across Scotland, England and Wales.
“We’re encouraging pupils to stretch their imaginations and depict something from the past that they find really interesting and inspiring. This is an opportunity for originality and diversity to shine.”
