Adoptions from care increase
- The number of adoptions from care has increased by 105 per cent since 2007, figures published by the Scottish government last week show. The number of children looked after by local authorities has remained constant at 16,248 in 2012, and more than a third of children now enter the care system before the age of five. A total of 2,706 children were on the child protection register in July 2012, half of them under the age of five.
Upgrades worth #163;7.1m coming
- Upgrading works to Edinburgh schools worth #163;7.1 million will take place in the coming year, the city council has said. The upgrades will include roofing repairs, stonework, fire safety and general improvements to schools across the city. A total of #163;1.5 million will go towards work at Portobello High, with the remaining #163;10.5 million, set aside from this year’s budget, split across a number of other schools.
Civic award for campuses
- The Alloa and Stirling campuses of Forth Valley College were among only four buildings in Scotland to receive a prestigious Civic Trust Award at a ceremony in Cardiff earlier this month. The award honours the best in architectural design and its impact on the community and the environment. Alloa and Stirling campuses were opened in 2011 and 2012 respectively, and were designed by architects Reiach and Hall.
NUS Scotland leaders elected
- NUS Scotland has elected a new president and depute president. The current president for communities, Gordon Maloney, an Aberdeen University student and former student of Sabhal Mor Ostaig College on Skye, will take over from Robin Parker, who has come to the end of his two-year presidency. Robert Foster, former North Ayrshire campus president at James Watt College and now a student at Glasgow Caledonian University, will replace Graeme Kirkpatrick as depute president.
Proceed ‘largely as planned’
- The Scottish government has published its response to the consultation on the Children and Young People Bill, saying it intends to proceed “largely as planned”, but will be making some alterations to reflect the consultation. The bill will place new duties on ministers and the public sector; increase the powers of Scotland’s commissioner for children and young people; and promote cooperation between services.
