Tag: education

School pupils set out to prove they’re top Euroquiz whizz-kids

Do you know your zlotys from your forints? And where is the highest bathroom in Europe located? These are examples of some of the taxing questions that may face hundreds of primary six children from all over Scotland who will take over the Scottish Parliament’s Debating Chamber on 15 May. Continue reading School pupils set out to prove they’re top Euroquiz whizz-kids

City schools to compete in Scotland’s first nationwide online maths contest

With just days to go until it starts, 336 classes from 78 schools across Edinburgh and the Lothians have now signed up to take part in Scotland’s first ever nationwide online school maths contest, being run by Scottish education technology social enterprise Sumdog.  Continue reading City schools to compete in Scotland’s first nationwide online maths contest

Children’s language classes: as easy as uno, dos, tres!

Edinburgh based Language School Applauds Duchess of Cambridge for Teaching Royal Tots Spanish

The owner of an Edinburgh based children’s language business has praised Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, for teaching Prince George and Princess Charlotte to speak Spanish.

Giselle Dominguez, who runs Lingotot North Edinburgh, delivering classes in Broughton and Leith  for pre-school and primary school aged children across Edinburgh was delighted to hear the news that Prince George can already count to ten in Spanish and his little sister is also learning the language. The revelation was made during a visit to a charity farm project in Gloucestershire, where the Duchess shared the news with a group of schoolchildren.

The royal tots join a growing number of youngsters learning a second language, including Sam Faier’s son Paul who learns Spanish after appearing on ITV Be series the Mummy Diaries with Lingotot.

Up and down the country Lingotot teaches 10,000 children aged 0-11 each week to speak a range of modern foreign languages including French, Spanish, German, Arabic and Mandarin and here in Edinburgh the number of children grows month on month.

Giselle said: “I am delighted to hear that the young royals are learning a second language with the help of Kate and the children’s Spanish nanny. Research suggests that children who know two languages can gain an academic advantage over those who speak only one. Linguist experts say that between birth and five years of age, the human brain is hard-wired for learning multiple languages and after this age it becomes much harder.”

She went on: “At Lingotot we understand that not everyone has the resources to hire a nanny and in our lessons we teach the parents too, giving them top tips on how to use the language at home every day. We share our multilingual songs, stories and games with the whole family.

Giselle Dominguez invites you to come and try a Lingotot class for free at one of their venues  and your little one will be saying ‘uno, dos, tres’ before you know it!

‘One janitor, one school … and keep our cleaners’ – UNISON Edinburgh in pre-election appeal

UNISON’s Edinburgh branch, the union representing council staff, fears new council proposals will mean Edinburgh’s schools will no longer have their own janitor and cleaning hours will be cut. The union is asking voters to challenge candidates to oppose the cuts in the run-up to Thursday’s local elections. Continue reading ‘One janitor, one school … and keep our cleaners’ – UNISON Edinburgh in pre-election appeal

Education attainment gap begins to close

New analysis shows greater proportion of pupils from deprived areas are entering higher education

A new analysis of school leaver destination statistics published by the Scottish Government reveals that the poverty-related attainment gap has begun to narrow over the past five years. The figures show that the proportion of young people entering higher education at college or university directly from school has increased faster among those from the most deprived areas in Scotland when compared to the least deprived.

In 2012, 20.4% of school leavers in the 20% most deprived areas went straight into higher education from school, compared to 58.6% of pupils from the 20% least deprived. In 2016, the percentage of school leavers entering higher education from the most deprived areas had risen to 24%, with the percentage entering from the least deprived up to 60.5%.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney welcomed the analysis but said more needed to be done to widen access to higher education, given the figures also demonstrated that young people from Scotland’s least deprived areas are more than 2.5 times more likely to go into higher education straight from school than their counterparts from the most deprived areas.

Mr Swinney said: “I want every child to have an equal opportunity to go to college and university and to succeed in life, no matter their circumstances. This new, detailed analysis provides welcome evidence that we are beginning to make progress in that aim and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.

“However, it also demonstrates the scale of the challenge in creating equity and excellence in our education system. The status quo is not an option – change is needed, and indeed change is happening.

“We need to reform our approach to get the whole system pulling in the same direction with an integrated framework that meets the needs of all young people at every stage of their journey through education.

“We are taking forward the actions recommended by the Commission on Widening Access, including the appointment of the Fair Access Commissioner to drive the whole system approach needed in this area. We are also reviewing the learner journey from 15 to 24 to ensure that the system of post-school education works effectively and efficiently to provide support to those who need it the most.  This breakdown helps to show what we are beginning to get it right and what more we need to do.”

Supplementary analysis of last month’s school leaver destination statistics shows:

  • A record proportion of young people from Scotland’s most deprived communities are continuing their education, entering training, volunteering or getting a job after they leave school.
  • A record proportion of school leavers from all backgrounds went directly into higher education in 2015/16. The proportion from the most deprived areas was 24% – up from 22.2% in 2014/15 and up from 20.4% in 2011/12.
  • There was also a narrowing of the gap in school leavers initially in further education. In 2012, 34.9% of pupils from the most deprived areas went on to further education, by 2016 this had risen to 35.9%.  Over the same time period, the percentage of pupils from the least deprived areas in further education went from 17.2% to 16.1%.
  • Over the same period, the percentage of school leavers from the most deprived areas entering employment has risen year-on-year, from 16.8% in 2011/12 to 21.2% in 2015/16.

Scottish Funding Council figures published in March showed an increase, in 2015-16, to the proportion of entrants to higher education from the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland, with wide variation among universities and colleges.

 

Craigie’s Elaine is Scotland’s Employability Champion

Craigroyston Community High School teacher Elaine Gray has been chosen by Career Ready as the Santander Employability Champion 2017 for Scotland. The award recognises Elaine’s commitment to improving the employment prospects of her students, and she’s been praised for her ‘magnificent leadership and energy.’ Continue reading Craigie’s Elaine is Scotland’s Employability Champion