Scottish Government Education Department
Questions to the Minister for Education and Young People from the Pupil Inclusion Network
A Curriculum for Excellence gives us new goals – how are we going to assess achievement in these areas and how are we going to get people to value these as much as academic achievement?
“We have said that the purpose of Scottish education is to enable children and young people to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
I welcome the practice that we now see of voluntary sector organisations, employers and schools working together to provide engaging learning opportunities and alternative forms of accrediting young people’s achievements. I am strongly persuaded of the need to recognise young people’s achievement more fully than we do at the moment – that’s why Ministers responded to A Curriculum for Excellence with a commitment to develop ‘a new way of recognising the achievements and attainment of all young people from S1 to S3’ by 2007.”
Who works with local authorities to ensure inclusion and meaningful interagency work is happening?
“We are doing a great deal to ensure that children get the help they need when they need it from agencies working together. This agenda is being driven forward by the Ministerial Children and Young People Delivery Group, which I chair.
Through Getting it Right for Every Child, we are progressing a programme of reform to improve children’s services and support the children’s services workforce. We need a unified, responsive and accountable service, with professionals who are confident in taking action to help children. As part of this agenda, we will be taking new legal powers to compel agencies to work together and to share information. I, and my Ministerial colleagues are determined to ensure that services should work together to meet Scotland’s vision for children – that they are safe, nurtured, healthy, achieving, active, respected and responsible and included.
In March the Executive published a new Quality Improvement Framework for Integrated Children’s Services which will support self-evaluation and performance improvement within and across children’s services. This will be embedded within the wider Integrated Children’s Services Planning framework. This reflects the sea change towards further service integration, by considering how all services work together around the individual child.”
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If many teachers feel that they are not social workers, how is teacher training and continued professional development reflecting the need for teachers to have these skills?
“School staff often know children best. They can play a key role in supporting children, but they cannot do this alone.
Through elements of interdisciplinary pre-service training and appropriate joint involvement in professional development opportunities, teachers will have greater insight into the roles of other professionals in children’s development and be better able call for their input at appropriate times.”
Should young people ever be excluded from school?
“Yes, when their behaviour is too extreme, but I have made it clear that exclusion is a last resort, and must be used in the context of a clear, staged and consistently applied approach to behaviour in school – reflected in local policies and practice. Where schools have good leadership, identify and give help to children when they require it, where they have a positive school ethos and relationships and where they engage children through effective learning and teaching, they are best placed keep children in the system.
The Scottish Government has bolstered the flexible support available to schools through additional investment in support staff, positive behaviour, home-school link and alternatives to exclusion. We have also supported approaches to prevent and repair conflict in schools (e.g. restorative practices), maximising opportunities for positive resolution.”
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Should exclusions be allowed when education is compulsory?
“I have been absolutely clear that there is no place for certain behaviours in school. There are times when pupils need to be removed from the classroom.
We set clear expectations of alternative education provision for children and young people who are excluded from school in guidance to education authorities and schools. Alternative provision must be appropriate to the needs of the child and of high quality – wherever the learning takes place.”
Should another agency be set up to deal with the 20% of young people we are talking about as those who are disengaging from learning?
“We are proud of our comprehensive education system – with values of equality, diversity and inclusion. The question is not to divide our children and young people, but to provide personalised learning and support to accommodate each individual. That’s why we have A Curriculum for Excellence. I introduced the Additional Support for Learning Act to ensure that every child gets the help and support that they need when they need it, regardless of why or for how long – children with complex support needs, those affected by a crisis or incident, or indeed youngsters with particular gifts or talents which can be challenged further.
Some children and young people will continue to require specialised support, outside of mainstream, and I have no argument with that. Voluntary sector providers continue to have a role here.”
What are schools doing about the vocational option? What is national policy?
“We’re already increasing links between schools and colleges, thanks to our school college partnership, which allows more and more young people to try their hand at subjects not traditionally offered in schools – everything from hairdressing and carpentry to philosophy and psychology. And our Skills for Work courses, which are currently being piloted throughout the country, allow pupils to gain qualifications while undertaking vocational courses.
Members of the Pupil Inclusion Network deliver flexible curriculum options in partnership with schools and education authorities. I recognise the good practice of the voluntary sector in reengaging school disaffected youngsters, and am committed to creativity and flexibility in the system. Schools are making progress, but we must step up the pace of change, especially in the first years of secondary school.”
