Thumbs-up for Donaldson
- The Scottish Government has accepted the recommendations of the Donaldson report on teacher training, Teaching Scotland’s Future - in full, in part or in principle - and set up a partnership group to report on implementation. It will be co-chaired by the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland and the Scottish Teacher Education Committee, alongside the Government.
Early exit for Dundee officials
- Five senior officials at Dundee City Council are likely to stand down from their posts early, leaked documents reveal. The officers, including education director Jim Collins, would all take voluntary early retirement under plans that would see the number of departments cut from 10 to six and an “arms-length” body run leisure and cultural services. The move would save pound;400,000 from the council’s wage bill.
Cash boost for kids’ future
- Children’s Minister Adam Ingram has launched a pound;6.8m fund designed to improve the lives of Scotland’s children. National voluntary bodies can bid for a share in the Early Years Action Fund, which will enable them to improve early years services, provide earlier support for families to prevent problems, support better health and help looked-after children. The fund will be administered by the venture philanthropy body Inspiring Scotland.
Spotlight on role of universities
- A Universities Scotland report has highlighted the vital role of universities in Scotland’s creative industries. Scotland’s Creative Economy: The Role of Universities makes a series of recommendations aimed at universities, creative businesses and government bodies. It stresses the need for Scotland to avoid the English view that science and technology are the only route to economic success.
Reprimand for misconduct
- A teacher has been reprimanded by the General Teaching Council for Scotland for misconduct. John Cairns, a modern studies teacher at Clydebank High, admitted to using insulting, threatening and abusive language in phone calls and written material to other teachers, senior managers at the school and education officials at West Dunbartonshire Council between June and September 2008. Two medical reports were submitted, which indicated he had suffered a possible hypomanic episode at the time.
