September - Nov 07 – In the Press
- Behaviour
- Schools
- Families
- Additional support
- Young people looked after
- Mental health
- Substance misuse
- Childrens services
- Young peoples' voices
Behaviour
In this section you will find press stories which highlight current opinions in respect of Scotland’s education system.
Excluded teenagers ‘need support’
Schools and social services are failing to prevent youngsters engaging in crime, ministers have been warned. A report commissioned by the Scottish Government said more should be invested in specialist support for teenagers when they start to go off the rails.
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Texts and threats tackle school truancy
Text messages and the threat of prosecution has reduced truancy in Falkirk, it has been revealed.
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Gang fighting campaign 'success'
A summer campaign has resulted in a "dramatic" decrease in gang fighting in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow, police have said.
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Youth work sees fire attacks fall
The number of attacks on firefighters in Tayside has more than halved in the past six years.
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Schools
In this section you will find press stories which highlight current opinions and developments in respect of Scotland’s education system.
Teacher quality matters most
Scotland has potentially the world's best education system, according to a renowned American expert in teacher training.
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‘Campus cops’ cutting youth crime
A Scottish council has claimed it is bucking the national trend of rising youth disorder. East Renfrewshire Council links its success to the appointment of police officers to three secondary schools. Justice Secretary Kenny McAskill, who is interested in alternatives to Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, is to visit one of the pilot schools.
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Call to rethink school experience
A leading children's charity has called for a major rethink of the way Scottish youngsters receive their education.
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Free School Meals
Dunbartonshire will have access to free nutritious meals during a six month scheme – running until March next year. The trial will target some of the country's most vulnerable children and are part of the government's commitment to improving Scotland's health and encouraging good eating habits from a young age.
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Commitment’s pays off
Business and education are forging strong ties in Fife and winning awards.
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Aspirations
TES Scotland ask a range of people working in Scottish education to outline their aspirations for the coming year
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Scotland spends more on pupils
Each school pupil in Scotland receives hundreds of pounds more in education funding than those in England, figures for 2005/06 have revealed.
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Lessons to be learned on school closures
Picture a school for apprentice politicians. One of the first lessons in the curriculum would surely be - embark on school closures at your peril.
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New teachers unable to find jobs
The Scottish Government has admitted that many new teachers are struggling to find jobs for the new term
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Families
In this section you will find new stories relating to the issues of families and young people who are disaffected or excluded from school.
Parents not impressed with leaflets
A series of 12 parental involvement leaflets, produced by the Scottish Government at a cost of £450,000, was rated more highly by schools and local authorities than by the parents they were aimed at.
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Children 1st Welcomes Boost for Scotland’s Carers
The announcement of much-needed funds to support carers in Scotland has been strongly welcomed by Children 1st.
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Aberlour celebrates 25 years working with Families in Langlees
Aberlour has celebrated twenty five years working with families in Langlees at its Family Centre this year.
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New study reveals gaps in services for young runaways across Scotland
Many vulnerable young people across Scotland who run away from home are not getting the help and support they need to keep them safe, a study commissioned by 1 in 9, The Scottish Coalition of Young Runaways, led by Aberlour children’s charity.
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Additional support
In this section you will find press stories which consider issues surrounding young people with additional support needs and approaches which are being implemented to improve and enhance their experience of school.
No more tears especially from mum
The nursery to P1 transition can be traumatic for some pupils, but peer support can make a different.
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Bridge over troubled waters
When former pupils come back to Black Isle Education Centre, it's often an emotional scene. They're often dads themselves, driving a carload of kids up the drive to an impressive country house, showing off their old school to their families.
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Super, furry animals
The Out of Bounds project for socially excluded young people at Gorgie Farm in Edinburgh is helping young people become independent, confident and ready for work.
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Columba set for new journey
COLUMBA 1400, the charity which offers specialist leadership training to pupils and head teachers, is to undergo a massive expansion, thanks to two donors.
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A safe heaven for lost boys
Ballikinrain, a residential school for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, is supporting boys with a troubled past to build a better future.
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Peer Educators – Now Taking Bookings!
LGBT Youth peer educators are happy to work with groups of young people aged 16 – 25. The workshops can be tailored to fit most needs, however in a nutshell the aim of the peer education sessions is: ‘To reach out and provide information about LGBT identities to our peers in a non-formal and relaxed way’. This service is free of charge. If you would like more information please contact:
LGBT Youth - Fusion, either by emailing
Fusion@lgbtyouth.org.uk or Esther.Paterson@lgbtyouth.org.uk
The Philip Lawrence Awards - Celebrating 10 Years of Greatness
Do you know someone who could be a 2007 Award winner? Aged between 11 and 20 and part of a group working to make things better in their area? Who inspires other young people to make a difference? Do you work with, a group of young people who have taken the initiative to improve their lives, and the lives of others? The closing date for nominations is Friday 14 September.
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Young people looked after
In this section you will find press stories relating to the education of young people who are looked after away from home.
Care youngsters fear postcode lottery
Clearer guidelines on how to look after young people who have just left local authority care are being proposed by the Scottish Government.
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Mental health
In this section you will find current stories relating to young people, mental health and education.
NCH: Growing Strong
Growing Strong: NCH’s new campaign to promote children’s emotional wellbeing so they will be better able to achieve their potential.
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Well?
The latest edition of Well?, the Scottish Government’s free six-monthly magazine on mental health and well-being, focuses on children and young people. To join the free mailing list email well@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or download a copy here
Midlothian Outreach Programme
LGBT Youth Scotland is currently developing an outreach project in Midlothian, funded by Choose Life, the national strategy and action plan to prevent suicide in Scotland. It is hoped the project will tackle the isolation, exclusion and discrimination that LGBT young people face, and reduce the negative impact in terms of mental health and wellbeing. For further information email: Daniel.winstanley@lgbtyouth.org.uk or call 0131 622 2266.
Substance misuse
In this section you will find current stories relating to the issue of substance misuse and young people who are disaffected or excluded from school.
Huge rise in Scottish Drug Deaths
The number of drug-related deaths in Scotland has increased by a quarter, according to new figures.
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Drugs police not the best educators
Schools across the land for decades have allowed the police a free rein in running their version of drugs education. The police are not teachers, they are not social workers or even youth workers and they most certainly are not trained health education workers. So why do we trust them to run drugs education classes in schools?
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Crew 2000
Scottish drug education organisation, Crew 2000, has launched a £35,000 campaign to teach those working with young people about drug misuse. The project funded by the Scottish Government, will involve Crew 2000 working in partnership with drug users, non-users, communities and other organisations.
For more information visit Crew 2000
Children’s services
In this section you will find news about the development of children’s services in Scotland.
Aberlour win Social Care Accolade Award
The winners of Scotland’s national Care Accolades awards were announced on the 8 June 2007. Aberlour were presented with a Care Accolade for successful initiatives to recruit and retain staff.
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Young Scot Youth Opportunities Database
This online searchable database aims to provide young people in Scotland with information, opportunities, activities and incentives in their local area. Young Scot are requesting for information on local opportunities in your area to add to this database. For more information on the project, please contact Kirsten Maxwell at Young Scot. Tel: 0131 313 2488.
Email: kirstenm@youngscot.org or visit the website at http://www.youngscot.org/
£500,000 Needed to support Scotland’s 9000 runaway children
Aberlour Child Care Trust, the largest Child Care Charity working solely in Scotland, has launched a national campaign to raise £500,000 to support a range of services for some of the 9,000 Scottish children who run away from home every year.
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Response to survey about Childhood friendships at risk
Aberlour responds to the results of a survey published by The Children’s Society as part of its Good Childhood Inquiry.
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Big Lottery Fund Allows Chill Out Zone to Expand
Children 1st’s Bathgate-based Chill Out Zone (COZ) will shortly be opening at weekends thanks to a fantastic grant from the Big Lottery Fund.
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Helpful or hysterical
Are disclosure checks going a step too far? Are volunteers being lost in the name of child protection?
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Sir James Robertson Charitable Trust: Grants for Recruitment and Training of Leaders
The Sir James Robertson Charitable Trust, awards grants to Voluntary Youth Organisations in Glasgow, which have charitable recognition and are formed for the purposes promoting the spiritual, mental and physical welfare of young people, without attachment to any political party.
For further information contact Mrs Jan Blackie, The Sir James Robertson Charitable Trust, 141 Invergyle Drive, Glasgow, G52 2BS email janblackie@talktalk.net
Investing in Ideas
The Big Lottery Fund scheme for Scotland is to help groups test out their ideas to see if they are likely to work. It could be about strengthening organisations in order to implement new ideas, testing out the views of local people towards your plan or maybe funding out how successful this idea has been elsewhere. Voluntary bodies and Charities can apply any time.
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Active Living Fund
Grants of up to £1,000 are available through the Kellogs Active Living Fund for projects that remove the “barriers” which stop people being active. In particular, the Fund is looking to support projects that implement innovative ways of getting non-active individuals active; existing projects or activities that adapt or expand so that they are available to new groups of people or new geographical areas; and existing projects or activities that need new equipment, or existing projects that require replacement funding.
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National Conference: call for submissions
On the 1st November at Hampden Park, Glasgow, YouthLink Scotland with the Scottish All Different All Equal Steering Group will launch National Youth Work Week, with a conference themed on the Council of Europe campaign - “All Different All Equal”. If you are interested in running a workshop at this event, please submit a request form by noon on Friday 21st September to ssymington@youthlink.co.uk or hmcvey@youthlink.co.uk
Young people’s voices
In this section you will find current stories reflecting young people’s opinions about issues which affect them.
Wanted! Young People/Youth Organisations for Podcasting Project
The aim of the podcasting project is to broadcast the voices and views of excluded and marginalised young people from across Scotland, building a unique library of podcasts, available to the world via the Young Scot website. Young Scot are seeking expressions of interest from youth organisations, who work with young people aged 16 - 19, who are not in employment, education or training (or may be excluded from society in some other way) and who are interested in hosting a four day, participant-led, podcasting workshop.
For further information please contact
Johnny Gailey at Young Scot on johnnyg@youngscot.org or call 0131 313 2488.
Giving a Voice to Young People with Sight Loss
RNIB Scotland has unveiled plans to set up Young People’s Forums across the country to provide teenagers and young adults from 12-25 with opportunities to identify what would improve their lives and empower them to campaign for change. For further information, contact: Mo Colvin on 0131 311 8500 or email Mo.Colvin@rnib.org.uk
