Truancy report kept under wraps
- One of the government’s favoured research organisations has told ministers what they did not want to hear on truancy and delinquency: that pupils who skip school do not necessarily commit crimes. The report, by Edinburgh-based MVA Consultancy, completed in June 1991, has failed to be published by the Scottish Office Education Department, which commissioned it when Michael Forsyth was education minister.
Tories take stock of training
- Scottish Office ministers will assume complete control of training next year as part of the “taking stock” exercise on devolution unveiled by the Secretary of State. They hope to avoid the political embarrassment which followed last year’s #163;20 million cut in Scotland’s training budget.
Class sizes put Scotland ahead
- Scotland compares favourably with England and Wales on class sizes and pupil-teacher ratios, research shows. In primaries, Scotland has a class-size average of 24.7, against 26.8 for England and 23.1 for Wales. In secondaries, Scotland comes out on top with 18.5 against 19.2 for Wales and 21 for England. The relatively low figure in Scotland is attributed to teachers’ better conditions of service.
Dunblane vote expected to back opting out
- As the Scottish Office attempted to clarify its legislation on self-governing schools, St Mary’s Episcopal Primary in Dunblane is still on course to become Scotland’s first opted-out school despite last-ditch efforts by Central Region. School board chairman Alan Bateman said: “I will be surprised if we do not get a yes vote.” He was adamant the school would continue in its present form with some 60 pupils, although only 25 are Episcopalian.
Bereaved pupils left in dark
- More than half the P7s in a survey of Edinburgh primary schools had experienced the death of a relative, yet only a handful found an “understanding adult” to turn to. The study by bereavement counselling organisation Cruse found that many pupils said their parents had covered up a death in the family by telling lies. One child was told her sister had gone to Edinburgh Castle.
