Children, young people, parents, carers and teachers are being encouraged to take part in the National Discussion on Scottish education through a series of upcoming online public events.
The first session will take place on Tuesday 22 November, with further opportunities on Wednesday 23 November and Thursday 1 December.
Anyone who has an interest in Scottish education is being invited to register to take part.
Those who register will be able to speak directly to internationally renowned education experts Professor Alma Harris and Professor Carol Campbell, who are acting as independent facilitators for the National Discussion
Prof Harris said: “We have had a fantastic response to the National Discussion so far, with engagement across a range of sectors, including from children and young people, teachers and parents.
“We are determined to be as inclusive as possible and would encourage everyone with an interest in the future of Scottish education to take part in these online public events.”
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The vision that is created following the National Discussion will set out what education in Scotland needs to look like not only in the near future, but 20 years from now.
“These online sessions are a great opportunity to get involved in the Discussion and to make your views heard.”
Around 3,500 responses have been received since the Discussion was launched on 21 September.
The feedback will play a vital part in shaping the future of education. This will include the reform programme that will see the creation of three new education bodies and a review of qualifications and assessment.
The National Discussion – Let’s Talk Scottish Education – which is being co-convened by COSLA, will run until 5 December.
The national day of strike action over pay will be the first such action in Scotland’s schools for four decades – a clear indication of the current level of anger and frustration amongst teachers.
Following the announcement of the ballot result at lunchtime yesterday, the EIS Executive Committee held a special meeting and agreed an initial day of national strike action two weeks from today. Further industrial action dates will be agreed at a normal meeting of EIS Executive tomorrow.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The EIS will be calling its members in all of Scotland’s schools out on strike action on Thursday 24 November, in the first day of national strike action on pay for almost forty years.
“We hoped not to get to this point and have given local authorities and the Scottish Government ample time to come up with a fair pay offer. But, with a pay-rise for teachers now more than seven months late, and with the last pay offer having been rejected by teachers almost three months ago, the blame for this move to strike action sits squarely with COSLA and the Scottish Government.
“They have sat on their hands for far too long, dithering and delaying while the soaring cost of living continues to erode the value of their pitiful offers to Scotland’s teachers.”
Ms Bradley added, “Teachers do not take strike action lightly, but have voted to do so in light of the continuing steep real-terms decline in their pay. Politicians who have lauded the invaluable work of teachers throughout the pandemic and during the ongoing period of recovery are now offering teachers a deep real-terms pay cut.
“This will never be acceptable to Scotland’s teachers or to the EIS, and that is why Scotland’s teachers will be taking strike action two weeks from today.”
Information on further strike action dates will be issued in due course.
UNISON, and sister trade unions Unite and GMB, are threatening pull out local government school staff and refuse workers on strike again.
Strike action was suspended after UNISON members voted for an offer which was made to them by COSLA on 2nd September 2022.
Trade union strikes remain suspended but mandates remain live meaning UNISON can legally call their local government members back out on strike, again.
COSLA now claim that the elements of the original deal – an extra days leave and the payment of SSSC registration fees for those working in social work, social care and early years – were only for one year not in perpetuity.
UNISON have now written to COSLA to say: “It is frankly outrageous that the draft pay circular sent to us on 7th October sought to time limit elements of the offer that had no time limitation on them in the original offer letter or in the discussions we had prior to it.
“That this remains unresolved should be a source of deep embarrassment. As has previously been advised our strike mandates remain live and we are all under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution is not achieved quickly.”
Council staff are still waiting for their increased pay uplifts to be included in their pay packets.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said:“This is appalling behaviour – either the employer did not even understand the offer they themselves were making – or they did and are now trying to renegue on it before its even been implemented. Either way it will be our members that suffer if they are allowed to get away with it.
“We have made clear to the employer and the Scottish Government that our strike mandates remain live and all three trade unions are under increasing pressure from members, who are rapidly losing faith in their employer, to lift the strike suspensions if a resolution and call members out if a resolution is not achieved quickly.
“Our members will rightly be questioning the value of COSLA if they cannot be trusted to draft an offer that they understand or uphold one that they do understand.
“It should be a source of deep embarrassment to COSLA that more than six months since the pay implementation date and in the middle of the worst cost of living crises our country has seen, waiting on their pay rise”
The winners of the first ever edition of the Saroj Lal Award for City of Edinburgh Schools were announced at the City Chambers this week.
The ceremony consisted of award judges, the family of Saroj Lal, student/teacher nominees and their families, along with Council colleagues and other invited guests.
Saroj Lal was one of the first BAME women to teach in a Scottish primary school when she began her role at South Morningside Primary School in 1970
. Her many successes included being at the forefront of race relations during a period of immense political and social change, delivering anti-racism training and starting the first local authority interpreting and translating service in Edinburgh.
Following her death in 2020, Saroj’s many achievements in equality, women’s rights, education, and community work are being formally recognised.
All City of Edinburgh schools were invited to nominate pupil work relating to any aspect of equalities, in any artform. Headteachers were also invited to nominate staff, whose collaborative work around equalities has taken a creative approach and had an impact.
All nominated work will be used to start building a resource bank for schools. There were 9 schools who nominated, with 13 pupil/pupil group nominations and 4 teacher nominations submitted.
All work submitted was considered by a panel of judges, comprising Saroj Lal’s son Vineet Lal, Debora Kayembe (Rector of The University of Edinburgh), Theo Ogbhemhe (teacher in Orkney who was winner of the first GTCS Saroj Lal Award), and young person, Alanah Walker.
The award categories for students were as follows:
Proud to be Me: Communicates the young person’s personal expression of pride their heritage, in their own culture and/or identity.
How Prejudice Makes Me Feel: Expresses young people’s feelings about any form prejudice inflicted on themselves or others.
Artivism: Art expresses their views on social justice and challenges others to change and/or act differently.
All the nominated work was celebrated at the ceremony hosted by Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener.
The winner for the Proud to be Me category was Anum Shezad of The Royal High School.
In the How Prejudice Makes Me Feel category the winner was Freya Wilson of The Flora Stevenson Primary School.
For the Artivism category the winner was the Rights Respecting Schools Group, comprising four senior pupils from Firrhill High School namely Jess Daly, Alisha McLeod, Sara McLeod and Jane Williams.
The staff winner was Rory Murray, again of Firrhill High School, with the special Judges’ Commendation going to Jane O’Thy, of Boroughmuir High School.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener said: “I am incredibly proud to oversee the inaugural Saroj Lal Award for City of Edinburgh Schools as Education, Children and Families Convener.
“These pupils and their achievements are a testament to the rich legacy that Saroj Lal left in her decades of pioneering work in Edinburgh and beyond. This award provides an opportunity to reflect not only on the life on a seminal and inspiring woman in Saroj Lal but an opportunity to look ahead to the future with pupils across the Capital showing their passion for equality, diversity and social justice.”
Vineet Lal, son of Saroj Lal, and one of the Award judges said: “I have been blown away by the sheer creativity and depth of thought demonstrated by all those pupils and staff nominated for the inaugural Saroj Lal Award for Schools.
“I have been truly amazed by the variety and originality with which they have embraced the spirit of equality and diversity and captured that spirit so beautifully in their submissions.
“Saroj was a pioneering force in the struggle for justice and fairness for all, and I think she would have been very proud indeed that her trailblazing work in the City of Edinburgh and beyond should inspire new generations to champion those same values.”
Aims of The Saroj Lal Award for City of Edinburgh Schools:
Mark the important legacy of Saroj Lal’s life and work.
Inspire action and promote equalities work in the widest sense.
Ensure pupils’ views, ideas and experiences are central and communicated widely through creative approaches.
Create a bank of resources for schools to use and share.
Challenge perceptions, remove stigma and celebrate diversity.
This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week (4th– 10th October) and an education expert has shared five pieces of advice on how to support children if they have learning disabilities.
Interestingly, research conducted by Oxford Home Schooling revealed that while overseeing their children’s learning during lockdown, many parents spotted potential signs of a learning difficulty.
Nearly half (47%) identified symptoms of dyslexia (difficulty reading, writing and spelling), whilst more than one in four (29%) observed possible indicators of dysgraphia (impaired handwriting or spelling).
To help parents who now think their child may have a learning difficulty, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, has put together a guide on how best to support your child and what your next steps should be.
1. Get your child diagnosed
If your child’s difficulties are having a significant impact on their learning, it’s a good idea to have them tested for a condition and diagnosed.
A diagnosis can open the door for your child to receive appropriate learning support in school. This includes allowing them extra time in exams and being supported by a teaching assistant, so it’s a good idea to look into this as early as possible.
If you’ve observed signs that your child may have a learning difficulty, you should speak to your GP, who can either make the diagnosis themselves, or refer the child for the appropriate tests.
2. Speak to your GP
Once a child is diagnosed with a learning difficulty, you should consult your GP. They will then be able to recommend and refer you to an appropriate specialist for support1.
Specialists can include speech and language therapists, educational and clinical psychologists and paediatricians, among others.
3. Make the school aware
Once you have an idea of the areas where your child is struggling, you will need to make their school and teachers aware of the situation.
This will allow the school to put extra support in place should your child require it. They will need time to consider how the condition might affect the child’s learning and work out how best to adapt their teaching.
4. Talk to others
Many parents find it difficult to process the diagnosis of a learning difficulty and it can be a challenge to adapt to your child’s new needs.
Don’t be afraid to seek out the support of other parents who have experienced similar situations. There are many support groups and forums out there for advice, and you and your child can even build new friendships.
5. Support your child
The important thing to remember is that you need to support your child, whether this is with their learning, or any other aspects of life that they struggle with.
Being diagnosed with a learning difficulty is by no means the end of the world and children with such conditions go on to enjoy rich and fulfilling lives.
You will need to be patient, and it may be challenging at times, but with the correct support system in place your child will be fine.
For information on the benefits of homeschooling for children with learning disabilities and special educational needs, head to this page:
Pupils around the globe will celebrate International Walk to School Month this October.
Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking is urging UK families to join in and enjoy the benefits of safer streets and being active.
Data released by the Department for Transport this week revealed that car usage and road casualties in Great Britain started to increase again in 2021, the year that lockdown ended.
Members of the public are being asked to share their #WalkToSchoolStories to celebrate the benefits that come from walking to school.
Living Streets, the UK charity behind the biggest walk to school campaign is encouraging families to leave the car at home for International Walk to School Month this October.
Pupils around the globe will walk to school to celebrate International Walk to School Month and Living Streets is urging UK families to join them.
The results of the Reported road casualties Great Britain data released by the Department for Transport (29 September 2022) show that we drove more in 2021, the year that lockdown ended, than in 2020. At the same time, road casualties started to increase.
Casualty numbers remained lower than the pre-pandemic levels but are higher compared to 2020 when restrictions were tighter and motor traffic usage lower.
Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We all saw the benefits to our health and air quality when we walked more and drove less. Quieter streets are safer, cleaner and healthier streets. Where possible we should avoid a return to the car and instead walk, wheel or cycle our short journeys.
“Making small changes can also help alleviate some of the rising living costs we are all facing, while we reap the health, social and environmental benefits of moving more.”
Living Streets is being supported this year by Dr Ronx, who has joined the charity as the celebrity ambassador for WOW – their walk to school challenge. The children’s television presenter and emergency doctor is joining the charity in encouraging more families to walk to school.
A generation ago, 70 per cent of children in Great Britain walked to school but now it’s dropped to around half.
Dr Ronx said: “October is International Walk to School Month – the perfect opportunity to give walking to school a go. Walking to school is simple, fun and free. More children walking to school means fewer cars around the school gates, better air quality, less congestion and less road danger.
“With notable increases in air pollution, rising childhood inactivity and post-lockdown poor mental health, encouraging children to be more active and ditching school run drives for more sustainable modes of transport is imperative.”
Living Streets is running a prize draw throughout October and encouraging people to share their #WalkToSchoolStories, whether they are walking to school now with children or grandchildren or sharing a childhood memory.
To enter the prize draw and for free walking resources, visit:
Poppyscotland has launched new learning resources for pupils of all ages, encouraging them to reflect on the history of the poppy and role of remembrance.
Pupils at Stromness Primary School on Orkney launched the new learning programme onboard Bud, Poppyscotland’s mobile museum on Monday (SEPT 26th), as it clocked up an important milestone having now visited all 32 local authority areas in its first two years on the road.
The 18-tonne truck, which transforms into an interactive learning space, has been traveling the length and breadth of the country since 2019, visiting schools and communities. Having had an enforced lockdown layover for over a year, Bud is now busier than ever with its calendar full well into 2023.
Bud is just one part of an ever-growing Learning programme run by Poppyscotland, which also includes physical resources that are sent to every school in Scotland each year, an annual competition and a newly-launched website containing around 100 different lesson plans, videos and other resources for teachers and youth leaders to access.
All resources have been developed in conjunction with Education Scotland and the Royal British Legion Scotland, and link to Curriculum for Excellence.
Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising and Learning, said: “We’re very excited to launch our 2022 educational resources and our new learning website. It is significant to do so on Orkney as it marks the final part of Scotland to be visited by Bud since it launched in 2019.
“Together, these offer schools and youth groups a wealth of innovative and engaging resources, looking at topics from First World War poetry to the Kindertransport and more recent conflicts. They stimulate discussion and learning around our recent history and help young people explore the relevance of remembrance in modern-day Scotland.
“We’re also delighted to invite entries for this year’s Learning Competition, asking children to share their own personal responses by imagining the “the day war started”. This is particularly timely given the current conflict in Ukraine, and the plight of child refugees around the world.”
From early 2023, Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh will once again welcome visitors following a three-year refurbishment programme. There, they will have the opportunity to meet the team of disabled veterans who make three million poppies and 20,000 wreaths each year for the Scottish Poppy Appeal, as well as learn about the remarkable history of the poppy.
Mr Michie continued: “The reopening of the Poppy Factory will be the culmination of three years’ hard work.
“The vastly enhanced visitor experience will offer a fascinating insight to the rich heritage of this remarkable little flower, as well as the chance to meet our team and see how the poppies are made.”
Helga Moss, a teacher from Stromness Primary School, said: “The visit from Bud was absolutely fantastic and there was something for children of all ages.
“The pupils were really engaged, and especially enjoyed the hands-on activities such as making their own poppies.”
All resources on Poppyscotland’s Learning website are free for teachers, youth leaders, parents and carers to download.
Schools can also book a visit from Bud and follow its journey around the country.
Maths Week Scotland returns for its sixth and biggest-ever annual event from 26 September to 2 October 2022. This week, pupils, community groups and families in Edinburgh and the Lothians will be enjoying an exciting range of maths-themed activities and events across local schools, science centres and museums.
Part of the Scottish Government’s drive to encourage positive attitudes to numeracy and maths, Maths Weeks Scotland is developed and delivered by National Museums Scotland. This year, the Small Grants Fund – a partnership between the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, the Glasgow Mathematical Journal Trust and the Scottish Government – has supported 67 different classroom activities for schools across the country to encourage pupils to think about maths in a creative way.
The theme for 2022 is the beauty of maths, focusing on the creative and inspiring side of the subject, and how maths plays a vital role in art, music and design. School pupils across Edinburgh and the Lothians will be encouraged to think about maths in a creative way through activities such as art and sculpture exhibitions, budgeting projects, and outdoor learning.
Science centres and museums across Scotland have also received support from Maths Week Scotland for large-scale family activities and workshops as well as programming for schools and community groups that encourage innovation and participation while linking maths with the arts.
Alongside in-person events, Maths Week Scotland has created a fun online programme to inspire and intrigue people of all ages, from schools and educators to families and adults. The virtual programme includes using coding to create art, ideas for hands-on classroom activities, and a mathematical art workshop by mathematician Lucy Rycroft-Smith with a free kit posted to participants.
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is organising an exciting programme of maths-themed family events, including free art exhibition (2 October) and a schools programme of renewable energy workshops.
Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh is launching the ‘Maths Attack’ trail around the estate to teach pupils about how to use and make their own set of Napier’s Bones – a calculation device for multiplying large numbers.
Edinburgh’s National Galleries of Scotland is showcasing Scotland’s art through a mathematical lens with an online resource for schools and gallery visits to Modern One.
The University of Edinburgh is organising an exciting programme of events, with a display of geometric illuminations and optical illusions at James Clerk Maxwell Building (1 October) as well as virtual (27-28 September) and hands-on (1 October) maths activities for families. The university is also providing workshops for teachers and educators to inspire ideas for practical maths activities in the classroom.
Museum on the Mound is hosting online and in-person ‘Money Maths’ workshops to explore different money around the world.
On 29 September, Surgeons’ Hall Museum is arranging school workshops on using investigating bones and surgical equipment as well as a drop-in session for the general public on 1 October.
Stockbridge Library and Moredun Library are hosting Bookbug sessions and art activities for individuals and families.
Katie Oldfield, Maths Week Scotland co-ordinator, said: “We are thrilled to be launching Maths Week Scotland for its sixth consecutive year with such a bang.
“Mathematicians often refer to the subject as ‘beautiful’, and our aim is to inspire families, schools and community groups in Edinburgh and the Lothians to view maths in a new way and to find it in unexpected places, such as art and music.
“We are so excited to be bringing back more interactive, in-person events at schools and public venues across the country. It’s brilliant to see that so many schools have devised fun and engaging activities for pupils to discover how creative maths can be.”
The schools programme is core to Maths Week Scotland. Schools and community projects receiving grants in Edinburgh and the Lothians are:
Edinburgh:
· Ferryhill Primary School – Skatepark Maths: Pupils P1-7 will create their own skateparks for finger skateboards
· Edinburgh Council Libraries: Three primary schools exploring outdoor space at Newington Library
· Bruntsfield Primary School: Creation of an exciting outdoor learning space
· Gilmerton Primary School – Financial and Budgeting: Pupils will be given a budget and go shopping for ingredients to create a nutritious meal
· Number Berries Maths Play Club: Mini Exhibition of art and sculptures inspired by manmade structures and nature
· Corstorphine Primary School: Beauty of Maths exhibition
Lothians:
· Cedarbank School: Exhibition of numeracy themed artwork created by pupils and their families
· Polkemmet Primary School: Beauty of Maths art exhibition for families
· Pinewood School – Maths Week Scotland Sale: Materials will be purchased to craft items to sell at a Maths Week Scotland sale to practice recognising coins and budgeting
Maths Week Scotland is supported by winner of The Great British Bake Off 2020, Peter Sawkins.
Maths Week Scotland has a supporting year-round programme for schools, families, adults, and community groups. This is part of an ongoing drive to transform Scotland into a maths-positive nation through raising the profile of maths and encouraging enthusiasm for maths across the country.
National Museums Scotland is working with a wide range of organisations and collaborators to support and deliver Maths Week Scotland activity across Scotland.
For a full list of contributors and to view the whole programme, visit:
Young people invited to take part in National Discussion
Every child and young person in Scotland is being encouraged to get involved in a National Discussion on education.
Let’s Talk Scottish Education invites those aged three to 18 to share their ideas, views and experiences.
Feedback from young people, as well as from parents, carers, teachers and others working in education and beyond, will play a vital part in shaping the future of education. This will include the reform programme that will see the creation of three new education bodies and a review of qualifications and assessment.
The National Discussion, which is being co-convened by COSLA, will run until 5 December. It is being independently facilitated by Professor Carol Campbell and Professor Alma Harris, who will report their findings to Ministers and COSLA in spring 2023.
Schools are being invited to take part in the Discussion in ways that best suit them and their learners. This may be through classroom discussions, homework tasks or by encouraging children and young people to have discussions at home or with friends. Discussion guides have been issued to schools to help encourage involvement.
Children and young people can also contribute by emailing the Scottish Government or through social media, using the hashtag #TalkScottishEducation.
More information will be available over the coming weeks on other ways that young people can get involved in online and regional events.
Ahead of launching the Discussion during a visit to Carnegie Primary School in Dunfermline, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “It has been 20 years since Scotland last held a national debate on the future of education. Since then, the education landscape has changed beyond recognition, as has the world around us. It’s time for a new National Discussion.
“Our reform programme will build on all that is good in Scottish education and deliver real change and improvement. Our children and young people hold the biggest stake in the education system so it is right that their views should be at the centre of those plans.
“We are inviting every child and young person to get involved. We want to hear all voices, particularly those who feel they haven’t been heard in the past.
“Resources have been developed to help prompt discussions around the country; within organisations, around kitchen tables and in our schools and youth settings.
“The vision which is created following the National Discussion will set out what education in Scotland needs to look like not only in the near future but 20 years from now – so Let’s Talk Education.”
COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Tony Buchanan said: “I’m delighted that we are launching the National Discussion and pleased that COSLA will co-convene the discussion with the Scottish Government, reflecting the importance we place on learning in Scotland, and the joint responsibility we have when it comes to education.
“This is an exciting opportunity for children and young people, staff in our schools, families and wider communities to get involved and make their voices heard. I hope that everyone who has something to say on how we deliver education in Scotland takes the time to get involved in the months ahead.”
Patrick McGlinchey, Executive Director of national parents group Connect, said: “We welcome the launch of the National Discussion and look forward to supporting learners and their families to participate fully.
“Connect will work hard to ensure children, young people, and their families are heard loud and clear during the national discussion, and that the future of Scottish education is child-centred, with parents by their side.”
There will be significant travel disruption along the route of the Queen’s coffin on the afternoon of Tuesday 13 September.
Police Scotland will be putting in place numerous road closures from 1pm which will cause significant disruption across the city.
As a result, a number of schools and early years centres along the route will close early from 12 noon to allow pupils and staff time to return home safely before the Police Scotland closures are in place.
We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause. However, you will appreciate these are exceptional times.
All schools will open on Wednesday 14 September as normal.
