Labour education spokesman Iain Gray has hit out at the Scottish government, after it announced millions more would be invested in closing the attainment gap. Gray says the money is being used to maintain basic services rather than to support poor pupils. Another £50 million in Scottish Attainment Challenge funding is set to be spent next year in the nine councils and 74 schools identified as having the highest levels of deprivation, education secretary John Swinney revealed.
A new way of monitoring and recording bullying in Scottish schools will be introduced this autumn. The government hopes it will make it easier for teachers to act “quickly and effectively” to address the problem. The updated guidance will be issued to all schools and councils. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, says standardised recording is important to identify the scale and extent of the problem and to combat unacceptable behaviour.
A Stirling school that is leading the way in boosting pupils’ mental health will hold a conference to share its approach with other schools. Wallace High - where many staff are trained in “mental health first aid” - will host the event on Monday 11 June (for more details, see bit.ly/WallaceHighConference).
Argyll and Bute Council is offering graduates financial support to stay at home and train as secondary teachers. It has worked with the universities of Dundee and the Highlands and Islands on the programme, which will involve student teachers - of chemistry, computing, home economics, maths and physics - being based in local schools over 18 months and earning while they train.
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