A week in secondary: 24 February 2017

24th February 2017, 12:00am
Magazine Article Image

Share

A week in secondary: 24 February 2017

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archived/week-secondary-24-february-2017

Students could face fresh disruption as college lecturers threaten strike action over a lack of progress on implementing a key pay deal. Last week, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) opened an indicative industrial-action ballot for its FE lecturer members, for action up to and including potential strike over the non-delivery of a pay agreement that was reached almost a year ago. According to the EIS, college managers have attempted to rewrite certain elements of the deal, which was reached in March 2016 and was due to be introduced this April.

Social media providers should do more to help teenage pupils cope with the online world’s “huge pressures”, according to Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson. Schools should also provide better advice on contending with “unreachable expectations” fuelled by social media, she said. Online platforms “must recognise that free speech for some can carry a cost to others”, added Ms Davidson, who spoke at an Edinburgh conference co-organised by Twitter and Tory mental health spokesman Miles Briggs.

Young carers place much importance on school as a respite, a study has found. Karen Martin, mental health development co-ordinator at the Carers Trust, said school was “a place where they can get a break from caring” and that it “offers the opportunity to be with other young people”. The report for the Children and Young People’s Commissioner found carers to be more likely to suffer mental health problems, but have greater feelings of self-worth than other young people. For more on mental health, see pages 8-9.

Personal and social education (PSE) should cover issues as diverse as banking advice and how to change a fuse, a parliamentary investigation has heard. It was also advised to include information on LGBTI bullying, tax and mental health. PSE is taught in most Scottish secondaries but content varies from school to school, the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee has found. The committee, which had asked the public for views on PSE, this week discussed ways to develop the subject.

@TESScotland

You need a Tes subscription to read this article

Subscribe now to read this article and get other subscriber-only content:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters

Already a subscriber? Log in

You need a subscription to read this article

Subscribe now to read this article and get other subscriber-only content, including:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared