Tag: Scottish Government

Getting more girls into sport

Scotland to hold first-ever Women and Girls in Sport Week

More women and girls across Scotland are being encouraged to get involved in sport. An awareness-raising week from 1 to 8 October 2017 will build on recent success stories – such as the women’s national football team’s qualification for its first major tournament this summer – to promote the benefits of a more active lifestyle.

A Women and Girls Advisory Board – made up of key leaders from the world of women’s sport, business and media – will offer independent advice to support the Scottish Government’s work to encourage more women into sport and raise awareness of women and girls regularly taking part in sports and physical activity at all levels.

Sport Minister Aileen Campbell announced dates for the inaugural week and the membership of the board during a visit to Shawlands Academy earlier this week. There, Scottish netball stars the Sirens were hosting a body confidence session as part of their Sirens for Success Programme.

Ms Campbell (above) said: “Research shows that sport improves health and well-being, leads to improved self-esteem and, at the elite level, gives everyone something to cheer for as our stars excel on the international stage. These initiatives will help us to increase female participation in all areas of Scottish sport and support our work to transform public perceptions.

“There is much to be proud of, but I am conscious that we must do more to increase sporting participation among women and girls, and to build awareness around the successes we already have.

“That is why the inaugural Women and Girls in Sport Week, and the expert advisory board, are so important. Together, they will develop and promote news ideas and approaches that will drive participation, transform perceptions, and develop the stars of the future.”

Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland and Women and Girls Advisory Board member, said: “Despite the pockets of progress that have been made in female sport recently, the levels of disparity are still significant. There is much that still needs to be done to achieve a landscape that is fair and equal for all.

“The Women and Girls in Sport Advisory Board will aim to address the key challenges currently facing women and girls in sport, as well as the many barriers to participation. We will seek to find an aligned strategic approach to driving long-term, meaningful change.

“The work that we have undertaken at Netball Scotland to tackle many of these challenges has delivered significant results – the Sirens For Success Programme being one notable achievement in this area – and I am hoping to bring the learnings, insights and expertise from my sport in order to support the drive for positive action.”

 

 

 

 

Affordable homes boost but Greens offer radical alternative

The number of affordable homes approved over the year to the end June 2017 has increased by 30% on the previous year, bringing the total number of approvals over the year to 10,612. The government says the figures show good progress but the Scottish Greens will put forward their own plans to improve housing stock in a Holyrood debate later today. Continue reading Affordable homes boost but Greens offer radical alternative

It’s National Maths Week

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A week-long celebration of maths and numeracy has been launched in nurseries, schools, universities and workplaces across Scotland as part of the first ever Maths Week.

The week will play a key role in the Scottish Government’s drive to encourage more positive attitudes towards numeracy and maths, with events hosted around the country for all age groups focused on the importance and relevance of the subject to everyday activities.

It also marks the launch of the Deputy First Minister’s Maths Challenge, developed in partnership with the Scottish Mathematical Council, which will see a series of questions posed over the course of the week, and a brand new Maths Challenge for school pupils during school holidays.

During a visit to Garnetbank Primary in Glasgow to join in Maths Week activities planned by the school, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Maths is a vital skill for everyone to use and enjoy, and it underpins many aspects of daily life.

“Excellence in maths and numeracy attainment is central to the ambitions of this government to keep improving the education of our children and young people, and to close the poverty-related attainment gap.

“The importance of science, technology and engineering to our society is increasing and, as set out in our Programme for Government, we want Scotland to be a leader in digital, high tech and low carbon innovation – maths skills, confidence and initiative are absolutely central to that aspiration.

“The level of engagement we have had from across the country already for all ages and all sectors of society is fantastic. I encourage people to get involved and also join in with the maths challenges I will be posing this week.”

Executive Director of Education at Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Making Maths Count group, Maureen McKenna, said: “I want everyone to be as passionate about maths as I am and to realise that we use maths in just about everything that we do.

“This special week is the chance for children, young people, schools, teachers and adults to showcase their creative and innovative ways of making maths count!”

Maths Week Scotland runs from 11 – 17 September and a list of events and resources are available on the Scottish Government website. Details on the DFM’s Maths Challenge are available on the Making Maths Count blog.

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The sum of all fears: changing the perception of maths

A global investment company has added its support to the Scottish Government’s inaugural Scottish Maths Week by showing youngsters that the subject is not just for number-crunching accountants.

Aberdeen Standard Investments is using the platform, which is being promoted up and down the country from 11 – 17 September, to demonstrate that sound maths skills help in daily situations. The firm has devised an online quiz to show youngsters – and adults – that lessons learned in the classroom can set them up for life: http://mathsweekquiz.com/

It sets out a series of everyday problems, from working out sales discounts to increasing recipes when cooking for large groups of friends, to testing their arithmetic skills.The quiz then goes on to show formulas and problem-solving tips so that they can successfully answer similar questions in future.

Aberdeen Standard Investments staff are being encouraged to try the quiz for themselves and share it with their family and friends to deliver on the Scottish Maths Week aim of helping everyone view maths more positively.

Martin Gilbert, co-Chief Executive of Aberdeen Standard Investments, says: “There may be a misconception that maths as a subject is only relevant if you intend to go into business or develop a career, such as accountancy, for which you need a head for figures. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Maths is a foundation skill which is essential to so many aspects of our daily lives, regardless of what career path you follow.

“Anything that helps to stimulate interest in maths, which makes it fun and challenging, has to be applauded and we are only too happy to support the inaugural Scottish Maths Week.

“I hope that by the end of the campaign, school children in particular will have a very different view of a subject that will give them skills for life.”

Aberdeen Standard Investment’s support for Scottish Maths Week follows Aberdeen Asset Management’s backing of the Making Maths Count initiative at the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links earlier this summer.

The firm worked in partnership with the Scottish Government and North Ayrshire Council to ensure that the world’s top golf players had to use their arithmetic skills as well as their talents with golf clubs to navigate the course.

Each of the 18 pin flags at the championships – attended by the likes of Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler – had mathematic calculations depicting their number, designed by children from primary and secondary schools across North Ayrshire.

The aim of Scottish Maths Week is to show everyone – young and old – the benefits, joy and beauty of maths. The Scottish Government has published a number of resources on the website www.gov.scot/mathsweek to encourage schools, colleges, universities, families and communities to take part.

Aberdeen Standard Investment’s online maths skills quiz can be accessed at http://mathsweekquiz.com/

 

 

 

Nuisance calls: enough’s enough

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A £50,000 fund to install call-blocking technology for those most at risk from nuisance calls has been announced by Economy Secretary Keith Brown. The fund is one element of a national Nuisance Calls Action Plan, launched to raise awareness and empower people to protect themselves from scam callers. Continue reading Nuisance calls: enough’s enough

Science Minister visits Blackhall Primary

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A science programme focused on igniting a passion for science in primary school pupils has been expanded to ten local authority areas across Scotland. Science Minister Shirley Ann Somerville called in to Blackhall Primary School last week to see RAiSE at work in the classroom.  Continue reading Science Minister visits Blackhall Primary

Scotland sends support to South Asia

The Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund is distributing £300,000 to help support people left homeless following floods that ravaged South Asia. Severe monsoon rains have affected 40 million people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. More than 1,200 people are known to have died. Continue reading Scotland sends support to South Asia

Read, Write, Count programme to be expanded

A campaign encouraging parents and carers to include reading, writing and numeracy in everyday activities has been expanded to children in Primaries 4 to 7. Read, Write, Count kits containing books, writing materials and numeracy resources such as dice and playing cards will be distributed to older pupils in 96 primary schools across Scotland this autumn. Continue reading Read, Write, Count programme to be expanded

Scottish government: getting back to the day job?

Scottish Government to ‘refocus and refresh’

Holyrood’s back, and later this week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will unveil her ‘most ambitious Programme for Government yet’, focused around a ‘bold agenda to strengthen and modernise the economy’. The programme will be announced following months of accusations that the government has run out of ideas and has been fixated for too long on a second independence referendum. Continue reading Scottish government: getting back to the day job?