Principal resigns after suspension
The principal of Adam Smith College in Fife, Dr Craig Thomson, resigned this week - a day before the Scottish Funding Council submitted its report into governance of the college to the college’s board and the education secretary, Michael Russell. Dr Thomson initially said he was stepping aside from his post for the duration of the review but was suspended by the board last week. The review was launched after anonymous allegations of bullying and harassment of staff by senior management were made on a website.
Struck off for faking folios
An English teacher at Crieff High in Perth and Kinross has been struck off the register by the General Teaching Council for Scotland for faking pupils’ Standard grade English folios. Colin Cairns, 51, denied four charges of submitting folios to the Scottish Qualifications Authority that were not the pupils’ own work and said he had complained of security issues with the English folios at the school, but claimed his concerns were ignored. Two pupils gave evidence that they had not written essays on poems which were in their folios.
Independent status for GTCS
The General Teaching Council for Scotland will become the world’s first independent, self-regulating professional body for teaching on Monday. Independent status gives GTC Scotland enhanced powers and greater flexibility of operation than previously, when some decisions were subject to final approval by the Scottish government.
Apprenticeship milestone hit
First minister Alex Salmond announced this week that the Scottish government had successfully delivered its commitment to support 25,000 new apprenticeship starts in 2011-12. He was speaking at a youth summit on employment at Inverness. “This milestone is a superb example of an effective partnership between employers, training providers and the public sector,” he said.
Energy skills academy opens
An industry-led energy skills academy, established with over pound;900,000 of public funding, has been launched. Nigg Skills Academy, near Inverness, aims to start 290 modern apprenticeships in its first year and to provide both MAs and general training for 3,000 people by 2015 for a range of jobs across key sectors including oil and gas and renewables.