News
Have your say on education
Want to tell the Scottish Government your views on Scottish education - what’s going well and what’s not !!! Then visit www.engageforeducation.org* a new website for teachers, young people, parents and school staff to provide feedback on educational issues.
The website will be two-way, with quick responses from the Scottish Government - including direct input from Education Ministers.
Parents and teachers will also get the chance to put their questions about the new Curriculum for Excellence directly to Education Secretary Michael Russell this summer during a series of public events taking place during August. The events will take place on -
26 August, Lornshill Academy in Alloa, 7.30-9.30pm
31 August, Balivanich School in Benbecula , 6.30-8.30pm
For more information visit http://www.engageforeducation.org/media/
Updated on 16 August 2010
For Scotland’s Disabled Children New Diary Project Blog
For Scotland’s Disabled Children (fSDC) was set up in 2007 to secure rights
and justice for disabled children and young people. The coalition, which
now has 56 member organisations, aims to make sure the needs of disabled
children and their families is at the heart of policy development in Scotland
– and that the good intentions of the Scottish Government actually make
a difference to families lives.
They are focusing on four big issues that impact on disabled children’s
lives:
- Improving the availability of quality short breaks
- Increasing and improving services that support young people when they move through different phases in their lives
- Improving the quality, cost and availability of appropriate childcare
- Making sure the 2004 Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Act is meeting the particular needs of disabled children and young people.
Addressing these issues will help families with disabled children to enjoy the same quality of life as other families - leading, hopefully, to better lives.
fSDC have recently started a diary project where families of disabled children record their views and experiences. The first blog is now live and is being written by Magali, whose little girl Gaelle has moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (eczema). To read the blog go to http://www.fsdc.org.uk/blogs/magali*
fSDC need your support
fSDC are totally committed to delivering long lasting change and better lives for disabled children and their families but they need the help of members and supporters to make change happen. They’ve launched a We want our Missing Millions campaign – which aims to make sure local authorities are spending the millions of pounds given to them to improve services and support for disabled children and their families appropriately - and created a liaison project to collect information about services and make links between decision makers and professionals families, children and young people. To find out more, to join or tell them your story visit their website on http://www.fsdc.org.uk/*
Updated on 2 August 2010
Consultation on Equality Act Secondary Legislation
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Bill received Royal Assent in April 2010. This new legislation brings existing anti-discriminatory legislation (including the Disability Discrimination Act) together under a single equality act. It will simplify the law making it clearer, more consistent and easier for employers and services to understand what they must to do comply with it.
A major impact for disabled children and young people is that the Equality Act strengthens the duty on service providers – including schools, colleges and universities - to offer reasonable adjustments to help disabled people use their services. For example, schools will have to provide, where reasonable, auxiliary aids and services for disabled pupils – aids such as specialised equipment/technology or adapted classroom materials.
Guidance for education providers on meeting the new duties is currently being written with the law itself coming into force in October 2010. A consultation on secondary legislation that will enable the Additional Support for Learning Tribunals for Scotland to hear disability claims cases in school education is underway. The consultation papers can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations* Responses are due by 24 September 2010.
For more information visit www.equalityhumanrights.com* or call the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 0845 604 5510.
Updated on 2 August 2010
Routes to Resolution
Children in Scotland (CiS) magazine has recently featured a very interesting series of articles called Routes to Resolution which looks indepth at the Additional Support Needs Tribunal, Independent Adjudication and Mediation. The magazine is usually for CiS members only but they have very kindly let us reproduce them here. If you would like more information on becoming a member of CiS then visit their website (http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk*).
Click the link for the article on -
Updated on 30 June 2010
Sharing Good Practice: The Retreat
Niddriemill Primary School’s dedicated ‘getaway’ room The RETREAT has been receiving a lot of positive attention recently. After it was noted as being an example of good practice in a report by HMI school inspectors last year, it’s been featured twice in education publication The Times Educational Supplement Scotland and in a local Edinburgh newspaper. Teachers from other schools in Edinburgh have also been to visit to find out more about how and why the RETREAT works. Click here for a report on Enquire's visit to the RETREAT(PDF - 44kb)*.
Updated on 2 August 2010
A trip to the Scottish Parliament...
In June, Amy Westendarp - Enquire's Officer for Children and Young People - gave a presentation to the Cross Party Parliamentary Group on Children and Young People. The group is attended by over 40 key organisations as well as several MSPs. Amy spoke about the various ways that Enquire involve children and young people. She highlighted:
- The consultations we carry out with young people about our advice guides for young readers and how their views inform the development of the publications. Recent consultations have been held at Barnardos's, Article 12 and National Deaf Children’s Society.
- The participation of young people at the Enquire annual conferences – the 2010 conference included interviews and artwork from children at Shelter speaking about issues at school for homeless families and a live interview with two young people with diabetes about support for pupils with long-term conditions.
- Enquire’s interactive website which gives young people the chance to find out information as well as contribute their views by uploading artwork and participate in podcast interviews. Enquire also has a very popular blog which shares good practice, challenges stigma around having support needs, and raises awareness of different ways of getting support.
The Cross Party Group were also interested to hear about Enquire’s work ensuring our information is clear simple and accessible through our links with the Plain Language Commission and our BSL, audio and large print versions of our guides.
Updated on 2 August 2010
Young people’s blog – an online conversation
Comments are a really important part of the Enquire young people’s blog*. Anyone can leave a comment. This means young people who visit the site have an easy way to have their say. Comments also give the blog authors feedback and a sense of audience, which helps their confidence and communication skills.
We hope the blog is a useful and appealing part of the site for children and young people. The blog is very popular and gets lots of hits but we’re always looking to increase the number of comments. If you’d like to help, please visit the blog*, leave a comment and encourage any young people you know to do the same!
