An unlikely replacement for modern languages in some secondary schools emerged at an enterprise education conference in Glasgow last week.
Some supporters of enterprise education suggested it could take up any slack in the curriculum left by the switch in the Executive’s modern languages policy, which is to make languages an “entitlement” rather than compulsory up to the S4 stage.
They did not, however, wish to be identified for fear of antagonising the modern languages lobby. The informal discussions took place at a seminar for tutors in the Scottish Enterprise Network’s Get into Enterprise (GiE) scheme.
During the public sessions, Eric Burton, senior teacher in enterprise education at Bathgate Academy, said that schools could use their new curricular freedom sanctioned by Jack McConnell, the former Education Minister, to introduce and extend enterprise education in the curriculum.
He said: “The GiE pack offers materials that could be adapted to suit different levels of students and permits the possibility of SQA accreditation at Access level or at Intermediate 1 or 2. It also links up with personal and social education at Higher Still.”
Betty Orr, project manager of GiE, claimed that the pack is “a very good fit” in authorities where curricular time has been freed up by reducing the number of Standard grades taken by pupils.
“Glasgow, for example, is allowing pupils to take on construction and hospitality courses and we are speaking to them about using GiE within that slot as well,” she said.
The seminar highlighted how schools apply the flexibility in delivering enterprise education.
Bathgate Academy has adopted a “whole school policy” approach, Mr Burton said. “The emphasis is on inculcating enterprise behaviour from primary to S6 as part of a continuum within the formal curriculum. Social and vocational skills courses are offered within the programme so that students can do eight Standard grades. This can be used as a springboard to a Higher.”
Sandra Prior, principal teacher of enterprise education at St Mungo’s Academy in Glasgow, said that her school, which has won a number of awards for enterprise projects, was abandoning the use of SVS and developing a course which will be offered to third-year pupils and lead to accreditation at Intermediate levels 1 and 2.
She added: “SVS did not get any status and the group taking it became like a non-certificate class. We want to develop an accredited curriculum that will be offered to pupils at the end of S2 and enable them to gain awards at Intermediate level and also the 12 modules offered by the GiE package.”
