Blueprint for education consultation

[MJ]

Unfortunately it looks like the education service is going to use the curriculum for excellence as a way of making savings and they could do some real damage to the education of youngsters preparing for exams. One of the questions in the chidrens questionnaires asked them if they want 3rd and 4th year to be more "like primary school."

How do you think they will answer?

 

P.S The childrens questionnaires will be completed at school so they can't be influenced by their parents.

 

 

Backhand tactics as usual

 

made the mistake of asking if the bairn could go to the one in eid. No she wasn't welcome. They would have questionaires at the school the teachers would help them fill out.

She still wants to know (I want to know) Where is she going to have her secondary education (if she stays up here, it only starts in august) and if she will be able to take the subjects she actually wants/needs to get into the field she wants. Not to have to worry about having to take an access course because her subjects have been limited.

Now considering the bairn is more than used to attending public meetings and having her voice heard (and already learnt that sic employees will lie to keep her quiet - she's still waiting for zettrans to visit HER school. Amazingly enough the exams didn't affect the primary school) why prevent them from attending. Pretty sure COSLA put out the guidelines about consulting with children and young people. Questionaires filled out with the help of teachers don't tick the box.

[jaydee67]

As before, pupils will be 'consulted' by members of the ed dept staff from Hayfield, not their teachers.

[MJ]

As before, pupils will be 'consulted' by members of the ed dept staff from Hayfield, not their teachers.

maybe those in the larger schools will have that luxury. i know they saw some of the pupils at aith, but it will be the same as last time. Just praying it's not as patronising, she found it really frustrating.

[humptygrumpty]

we've just phone the Anderson school at 09.10 this morning and they are closing the school now due to the weather , ok so far so good , now what would happen to the bairns as far afield as Sandness who have an hour and a half journey (on clear roads) ???

 

This is a prime example of what a world class screw up this so called "blueprint" really is.

 

1. Lerwick school wait until now to close the school when the bairns are by this time at the school and have already been on buses for at least an hour and a half only to have the same return journey in worsening conditions.

 

2. If they cant even make an informed decision on the weather conditions today and are willing to put kids at risk , are they really qualified to make any kind of decision on our bairns future educational needs....I dont think so !

 

You dont have to be head cashier at tescos to figure out this aint a day for a long school journey !!!

 

[MJ]

The roads weren't clear. The walls bus that the sandness kids catch at 7.55 (20mins late this morning) to take them to the 3rd bus from bixter which leaves at 8.15. It was total white out. Apparently the gritters didn't have blades on when they went out this morning so road wasn't visible. What I want to know is how they do they get back? Those further west would normally catch the scalloway school bus from wiesdale. Then their feeders from the mainroad. But it's friday, all the feeder buses will be doing the old folks shopping runs.

[humptygrumpty]

I was meaning if the roads had been clear , which they werent.

[MJ]

so after a discussion today I've been wondering is there anyway of finding out about percentages of children originating from the junior highs going on to university? Are they any less or more likely than those from the high schools. And ditto Brae verses Anderson? Can it even be narrowed down to individual primary schools?

[Twerto]

I cant find anything that splits it down to individual schools but

 

Taken from Here

 

85.7% of school leavers in Scotland go to positive destinations.

 

Positive destinations include higher education, further education, employment, voluntary work or training as in the definition set out in the Scottish Budget Spending Review National Indicator 10

 

I'm sure the information must be out there, just not compiled in the way you would want.

 

My gut feeling is that splitting it down to individual schools is not as clear cut as you may think due to the many contributing factors outwith the school environment that contribute to how well or not so well someone does at school.

 

Edit: corrected typing errors since we are on about education

[MJ]

I believe that's some of the NEET propaganda.

Anderson used to put positive destination figures in it's tables I remember figuring out which of us were in the other section. And back then doing a couple of hours behind the counter at oxfam was not given the same status as a full time place at university.

In shetland socioeconomic circumstances is not such a big factor, nor parental educational attainment.

[trowie246]

AHS has dropped out of the top 50 schools in the league table. I hear that Aith Junior High is no 7?

 

On saying that I am a bit skeptical of exam league tables and that kind of thing in Shetland because turning small numbers into percentages can skew things. I have even heard that AHS staff have discouraged pupils from sitting highers unless they can get an A to bolster results.

 

The reason education is so expensive in Shetland is because secondary depts throughout the whole of Shetland are overstaffed. But the main culprit is the AHS. At the moment it is staffed for a 1000 pupils and the school roll is nowhere near that and falling drastically. In 3 years time it is due to be under 700 pupils. I am still trying to obtain staffing levels for secondary education in Shetland.

 

Because AHS school roll is dropping they want to draw in children from rural areas to increase it. Gussie Angus said this at a meeting and he said if numbers did not increase they would not be able to provide the full suite of courses that is on offer at the moment.

[MuckleJoannie]

This link is the SIC School Service 2009/10 Annual Return. It lists in Word format every single teacher in Shetland and their subject.

 

http://www.shetland.gov.uk/education/documents/AnnualReturn.doc

[Holm O Sanik]

Because AHS school roll is dropping they want to draw in children from rural areas to increase it. .

 

Brae is the same, they want children to commute from whalsay.

[Frances144]

I would like to see an Annual Return for all the staff that run the Education Department too at Hayfield House with a job title, etc.

[MuckleJoannie]

I have even heard that AHS staff have discouraged pupils from sitting highers unless they can get an A to bolster results.

 

I was speaking to an AHS teacher about this and was told that pupils are encouraged to go for whatever they are capable of. Do you know which departments are guilty of this?

[paulb]

we had something simular last year. they say you need credit 1/2 in all the bits of each exam. if not they prefer them to do intermediate 2. however if the kid is motivated enough they will let them do the higher.

 

the daughter has dyslexia and she was allowed to do higher english but not higher maths which is her strongest subject. just speak to the guidence tutor and they will help. sometimes the kids are more negative than thr teachers.

 

only found out this year that most unis will except highers and that there is no need for advanced highers. which is just as well because if you do int 2 you can't do the advanced higher at anderson.