Teachers told: Get back to the 3Rs

The Scotsman

Teachers have been told to focus on basic literacy and numeracy in the classroom as a way of driving up attainment in Scotland’s schools. New guidance published, following a six-month consultation between the Scottish government, the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland and Education Scotland, said the profession should not focus solely on exam results, but rather go back to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Universities should take top pupils of poor schools

The Herald

The top-performing pupils in every secondary school in Scotland should be given automatic access to university regardless of their exam results, an education leader has claimed. Gordon Watson, president of the UCU Scotland lecturers’ union, said yesterday the drastic measure was required to widen access to higher education to pupils from poorer backgrounds.

Council fury over pound;9m youth jobs funding

Scotland on Sunday

Council chiefs have lashed out at ministers over plans to cut youth unemployment. A leaked paper from Cosla reveals fury within councils over the way ministers announced plans to share a pound;9 million cashpot. Council chiefs accuse ministers of unilaterally deciding that only six of Scotland’s 32 councils should get any of the cash.

School boy in stab horror

The Sun

A schoolboy was left in a pool of blood after he was allegedly stabbed in a playground attack. It’s claimed Hamish Duncan was knifed in the leg just seconds after stepping from a school bus at Campbeltown Grammar in Argyll. The injured 16-year-old was treated in hospital.

French parents and teachers demand homework boycott

The Guardian

A group of French parents and teachers have called for a two-week boycott of homework in schools, saying it is useless, tiring and reinforces inequalities between children. They say it pushes the responsibility for learning on parents and starts rows between themselves and their children. And they conclude children would be better off reading books. “If the child hasn’t succeeded in doing the exercise at school, I don’t see how they’re going to succeed at home,” said Jean-Jacques Hazan, president of FCPE, France’s main parents’ association.