Tag Archive for education

MSPs On Fact-Finding Visit to Kingspark School

April 26, 2013 Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Shona Robison MSP No comments
Cllr Gregor Murray (Depute Convenor Education), Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Shona Robison MSP, Cllr Stewart Hunter, Education Convenor, Dundee City Council, at Kingspark School before their visit.

Cllr Gregor Murray (Depute Convenor Education), Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Shona Robison MSP, Cllr Stewart Hunter, Education Convenor, Dundee City Council, at Kingspark School before their visit.

Dundee’s constituency MSPs Joe FitzPatrick and Shona Robison today visited Dundee’s Kingspark School the only dedicated school in the city for pupils aged 5 to 18 years who have a range of severe and complex additional support needs.

 

The school was opened in August 2010 and was recently extended by the local council to ensure more spaces for pupils. The MSPs were given a briefing and a tour led by the head teacher Laura Smith to look at the recent extension to the school and all the facilities that are in place for the pupils.

 

Speaking during the visit, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Kingspark School provides state-of-the-art care and education for pupils with complex needs and we were very impressed with the tremendous work and dedication shown by staff.

 

and has specialist subject teachers of Art, Music, Physical Education, Home Economics and Craft who work closely with class teachers to provide a total learning experience for pupils which is broad, balanced, progressive and relevant.”

 

 

Dundee City East MSP Shona Robison added “We were impressed by the close collaboration with NHS Tayside and departments of Dundee City Council.

 

“We saw first-hand the difference this is making to the lives of the children.”

 

“The recent £1 million investment by Dundee City Council to extend Kingspark and create more classrooms to allow more pupils to attend has been successful in creating a modern and welcoming school.”

 

Picture: Cllr Gregor Murray (Depute Convenor Education), Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Shona Robison MSP, Cllr Stewart Hunter, Education Convenor, Dundee City Council, at Kingspark School before their visit.

 

New Figures Show 90% Of Dundee’s School Leavers Going to ‘Positive Destinations’

February 12, 2013 Council Group, Shona Robison MSP No comments

Newly-published Skills Development Scotland figures for 2011/12 show a record 90 per cent of school leavers Dundee are going into ‘positive destinations’ of work, training or higher or further education upon leaving school, an increase of 1.3% since last year.

Dundee City East MSP Shona Robison and Dundee City Council’s Education Convenor Cllr Stewart Hunter have welcomed the new statistics that also show a further increase of 1.4% per cent in the rate of Dundee school leavers going to further education, which gives the city the highest rate in Scotland at 36.8% of all school leavers in the city, and an 0.1% increase over last year in the proportion of school leavers going into employment.
Shona Robison said: “We have had a record-breaking year with an historic high of 90% of young people leaving school in Dundee going into positive destinations – be it employment, training or education, which is an improvement on last year and represents a continuing trend of improvement since 2009..

“The SNP Government is building on this progress by investing more than £80million to improve the life chances of our young people.

“The Opportunities for All initiative, guaranteeing all 16-19 year olds an employment or training opportunity, will continue to combat youth unemployment in Scotland, in spite of the damage caused to the economy by the Westminster system’s austerity agenda.
Commenting on the new figures, Cllr Stewart Hunter, Education Convenor at Dundee City Council said: “This is a positive trend and shows significant progress is being made.

 

“I am pleased that we are heading in the right direction although we will continue to redouble our efforts so that every school leaver has a positive destination when they leave school. It’s our responsibility to give every young person the opportunity to succeed and we aim to achieve that.”

MSP Gets Cabinet Secretary’s Assurance on Free Tuition

December 14, 2011 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

Dundee West SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick today received renewed confirmation from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Mike Russell that university tuition would remain free for students from Scotland.
Speaking during a Ministerial question session at Holyrood, Mr Russell indicated that currently 83-84% of places in Universities in Scotland went to Scottish students, and that the Scottish Government under the SNP, as the only party in Scotland to consistently vote against tuition fees, would continue to oppose any fees.
Mr Russell also expressed his opposition to students being charged £9000 per year fees, and expressed regret at the decision taken at the Westminster that RUK students were now facing an average of £6841 to attend university in Scotland.
Commenting, Joe FitzPatrick said: “I welcome the Cabinet Secretary’s assurance that free higher education for Scottish students will continue for years to come.
“I am pleased that the rumours and scare stories of opposition members over the ability of this Government to maintain this policy have been comprehensively proved to be wrong.
“I wholeheartedly believe that education should always be based on ability to learn and not the ability to pay. The Scottish Government’s continued support for this principle has ensured that the number of places open to Scottish students has remained at high levels.”

MP Hears of Tesco School Vouchers Benefits for Local Schools

September 27, 2011 Stewart Hosie MP No comments
Stewart with staff and pupils from Grange and Newbigging Primary Schools and Monifieth High and Store Manager Ashley VanHoeven

Local MP Stewart Hosie was on hand at Tesco’s  Monifieth store on Friday to hear how four local schools have benefitted from the Tesco vouchers scheme.
Staff and pupils from three of the schools; Grange, Newbigging and Monifieth schools informed the MP what they have been able to purchase with the vouchers they have collected. Representatives from Seaview PS were unable to attend the event.
Since 1992, Tesco has provided UK schools with access to around 4 million free pieces of equipment worth £170 million.
Last year, 46 schools and clubs in the Dundee East constituency collected a total of 246,554 vouchers, with 34 of them ordering equipment worth £6,825.
Stewart Hosie said: “I enjoyed meeting staff and pupils from the three schools and to hearing what they have been able to achieve with the vouchers they have collected.
“Newbigging primary children told me that their school had obtained netball posts, Grange purchased lots of playground equipment and cameras and Monifieth High benefitted from notebook computers.
“This is a big scheme and it has been going a long time and has undoubtedly brought significant benefits to many schools.
“It is very worthwhile and I would urge shoppers to collect their vouchers when they spend £10 or more in Tesco Stores and pass them on to their local schools.”

SNP MPs To Vote Against Tuition Fees Hike

December 8, 2010 Stewart Hosie MP No comments

SNP MPs will be voting against the Westminster government’s plan to allow tuition fees to be hiked up to £9000 a year. The Tory proposals, backed by the Lib Dems, will not only leave students in English universities facing severe debts but will have a direct impact on the future of higher education in Scotland as the 80% cuts being made to the Higher Education teaching grant in England have a Barnett consequential.

Stewart Hosie, Dundee East MP said: “The SNP will be voting against this proposal tomorrow in the Scottish interest as the consequences for the university sector north and south of the border could be very damaging.

“The Tories introduced loans, Labour brought in tuition fees and the Lib Dems are now helping the Tories hike them. Only the SNP stands behind students in Scotland and is offering them the opportunity to be part of better.”

Minister’s Commitment to EMAs Welcomed by Dundee MSP

December 2, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

Dundee MSP Joe FitzPatrick today secured a re-statement by the Education Minister Michael Russell in the Scottish Parliament that the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will continue to support teenagers in full-time education at institutions such as Dundee College and that there are no plans to alter or amend the scheme. 

The Dundee West MSP was questioning the matter after questions had been raised about the future of EMAs, which have recently been scrapped in England.

The EMA is a Scottish Government initiative to support students to gain qualifications that will enhance their future job prospects. The scheme is administered by Dundee City Council Education Department and its continuation was announced by John Swinney in the Scottish Budget on 17 November.

The Education Minister today reassured all MSPs that the Scottish Government had fully-funded the scheme which he regarded as ‘highly-effective’ and ‘effectively-targetted’ and would protect it to continue supporting the least well-off 16-19 year-old students in Scotland. He welcomed the support of the NUS for retention of the initiative.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “I am pleased that the Education Secretary has confirmed to me today the perceived effectiveness of EMAs and that no changes are planned to the scheme, contrary to various scaremongering stories being put about by opposition groups.

“Currently, 39,000 young people in Scotland are receiving an EMA including many in Dundee. It is a useful support measure to allow students to continue in full-time education at school or at Dundee College.

“A weekly allowance of £30 is paid to eligible students who stay on at school after compulsory education. This is payable in arrears on a two weekly basis providing the student has achieved a 100% attendance for each week and has made suitable progress and good conduct.

“In difficult times, the Scottish Government are targetting resources where they make the most impact and continuing to support this valuable scheme which the Tory-Lib Dem UK Government has now abandoned.”

 “The initiative is a useful measure giving help where it is needed, and we know that it is popular with young people, allowing them to stay on and make themselves more employable when they enter the jobs market.”

Scottish Commitment to Educational Maintenance Allowance Welcomed

November 25, 2010 Council Group, Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Shona Robison MSP No comments

Dundee’s MSPs and the Convenor of Education at Dundee City Council have welcomed the commitment, in the Scottish Government budget published last week, to retain the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) to continue to support teenagers in full-time education to gain qualifications that will enhance their future job prospects.

The EMA is a Scottish Government initiative which is administered by Dundee City Council Education Department. A similar scheme in England is to be scrapped by the Con-Dem coalition.

Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said: “Currently, 39,000 young people in Scotland are receiving EMA including many in Dundee. It is a useful support measure to allow students to continue in full-time education at school or at College.

“A weekly allowance of £30 is paid to eligible students who stay on at school after compulsory education. This is payable in arrears on a two weekly basis providing the student has achieved a 100% attendance for each week and has made suitable progress and good conduct.

“I was pleased that the Finance Secretary indicated that the measure was to continue to be fully funded in Scotland.”

Joe FitzPatrick MSP for Dundee West said: “The Educational Maintenance Allowance is continuing in Scotland while the Con-Dem Coalition government in London has scrapped it.

“In difficult times, the Scottish Government are targetting resources where they make the most impact and continuing to support this valuable scheme which the Tory-Lib Dem UK Government has now abandoned.”

Dundee City Council Education Convenor Councillor Liz Fordyce said: “Dundee City Council Education Department administer the EMA’s and the scheme is intended to encourage young people to stay in further education to gain qualifications that will enhance their job prospects.

“To be eligible you must have signed a Learning Agreement also signed by your parent or responsible adult and by the school or college you are studying at. Parental signature is not required if you are studying full time at College.

“The requirement for a parental signature is waived for students who are estranged from their families and assessed as independent for DSS benefit purposes, if the student has additional support needs that make it impractical or the student is studying full time at college.

“The initiative is a useful measure giving help where it is needed, and we know that it is popular with young people, allowing them to stay on and make themselves more employable when they enter the jobs market. It is good that the scheme is staying in place in Scotland.”

Welcome for Harris Project Board

November 18, 2010 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick has today [18 November] given a welcome to the setting up of a Board to take forward a design for a new school building for Harris Academy. The MSP believes that the move, to be announced at the meeting of the Education Committee at Dundee City Council early next week, will be  a major boost for the project.

Joe FitzPatrick said: “This is a big step forward for Harris and will result in progress towards a design for the new school which will ensure it has the best modern facilities whilst conforming to the requirements of Historic Scotland in terms of retention of the historic façade.

“The project benefits from the Scottish Government’s school building programme, Building Better Schools: Investing in Our Future with two-thirds of the £31.25m being overseen by the Scottish Futures Trust.

“Dundee City Council are to be commended for moving quickly to get this project up and running.”

Local SNP Councillor Jim Barrie, a former Harris pupil, joined his colleague in welcoming the announcement.

Councillor Barrie said: “I have been keen to get Harris upgraded and am glad to be able to participate in the planning for the new school.

“Many of the classrooms have not changed since I was a pupil at the Harris.

“The fact that the school continues to be one of the best in the city is a credit to both the staff and pupils working there.

“The new Board will be able to bring a wide range of expertise and experience to bear in creating a new school as it includes the current headteacher, representatives of the teaching unions, parents council, Council officials and the local Councillors.

“I am looking forward to being involved early in the new year in the ongoing planning work of the Board.”

Politicians Support ‘Fresh Talent’ Teachers

July 14, 2009 Joe FitzPatrick MSP, Stewart Hosie MP No comments

Dundee SNP politicians are supporting teachers from overseas, invited to remain in Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative, who could now be facing deportation as the result of changes in UK immigration rules and red tape.

The “Fresh Talent Initiative” was launched in 2004 and attracted applications from graduates of Scottish Colleges and Universities who wished to remain and work in Scotland.

Changes to immigration rules last year meant that Local Authorities should have re-applied as the applicants sponsor. In the case of a number of Dundee teachers this has not happened. The UK Border Agency are now suggesting that these teachers will need to return abroad and re-apply under tier 1 of the new points based work permit scheme for their jobs, which could mean a lengthy delay or even that they cannot return.

Stewart Hosie MP said: “There are valuable members of the community currently working in Schools across Dundee who, through no fault of their own, are finding themselves without valid work permits or status to live and work in the UK because of a changeover to the new points based system.”

“I have been assured that Dundee City Council is reacting swiftly to remedy this situation and have an application pending with the Agency.”

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said “It is my understanding that Dundee City Council was unaware of the changes to immigration rules last year but that new administration is moving quickly to assist those affected.”

Both politicians urged that anyone who may be affected contact them at their constituency offices (01382 623200) and they will be happy to take forward their individual case with the Home Office.

MSP’s Disappointment at Dundee’s ‘Bottom of the Class’ in Class Sizes league

February 25, 2009 Joe FitzPatrick MSP No comments

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick today expressed his disappointment at Scottish Government Education statistics which show that Dundee City Council’s record on class size for Primary’s 1-3 is the worst in Scotland.

In terms of the percentages of classes with 18 pupils of less, Dundee’s proportion of class sizes of 18 or less ranged from 3.1% in 2004/5 to 3.9% in 2008 while over the same period the Scottish average has increased from 10% to 13.2% and some of the rural and Island authorities have succeeded in getting more than half of their P1-3 classes to 18 pupils or less.

Commenting on the statistics, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Primary 1-3 are the crucial years in terms of child development and in terms of children developing future discipline. There is overwhelming evidence that small class size is the biggest influence in terms of benefit in children’s learning experience in these crucial early years at school.

“It is very disappointing that Dundee is the worst in Scotland in reducing class sizes and questions must be asked as to why Dundee City Council is such a poor performer compared to all other councils.

“In single stage classes in Dundee, there are between 23 and 26 pupils.

“Even taking into account that 26% of Dundee pupils are from the most deprived SIMD [Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation] zones, a comparison with Glasgow, where 46% of pupils are from the most deprived SIMD zones, shows that Dundee schools’ performed worse than Glasgow schools, which has 9.2% of P1-3 classes of 18 pupils or less.

“In my view it is long past time for a change of administration on Dundee City Council – and for new leadership. Dundee children deserve better.”

« Older Entries  

Switch to our mobile site