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Committee Minutes
Education Executive | |
4 December 2007 |
IRVINE, 4 December 2007 - At a Meeting of the Education Executive of North Ayrshire Council at 2.00 p.m.
Present
John Bell, Tom Barr, Reverend David Karoon, Margaret McDougall, Peter McNamara, David O'Neill and John Scott.
In Attendance
J Travers, Corporate Director; C Kirk Head of Service (Educational Services); B Docherty, Corporate Director (Social Services); I.T. Mackay, Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Protective); H Hunter Principal Accountant (Finance); G Lawson, Corporate Support Manager and P Shiach, Corporate Support Officer (Chief Executive's).
Chair
Councillor Bell in the Chair.
Apologies for Absence
Father McManus and John Reid.
1. Educational Services Provision for Pupils with English as an Additional Language
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Educational Services) on support available for learners whose first language is not English.
At its meeting on 23 October 2007, the Committee requested a report on the support provided to schools in relation to pupils whose first language is not English.
In North Ayrshire Schools there are 157 pupils for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL), comprising, overall, 14 different home languages. The predominant minority language is Cantonese which is the home language of 63 pupils, followed by 45 pupils who have Punjabi as their home language. More recently a significant number of pupils have enrolled from the new EU countries. Around 40 children are at the early or intermediate stages of acquiring English.
2.6 FTE specialist teachers within the Pupil Support Service provide additional support to pupils who have EAL, including initial language assessment, direct teaching staff development, and consultancy. This approach supports schools to keep these pupils within Stage 1 of Staged Intervention and follows best practice in the process of integrating pupils into school and their wider communities.
Details of the arrangements currently in place to ensure other communications can be translated as required were contained within the report.
In the course of the current session, all of the EAL teachers attended English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) training at the Scottish Qualifications Authority in order to facilitate special exam arrangements for those EAL candidates who require them. Support has also been provided to pupils being presented for A Level Chinese.
Arrangements are in place to ensure other communications can be translated as required. General school related information and standard school letters are currently available in Cantonese and Punjabi. However, following consultation with the Sikh community, it has been agreed that there is no longer a demand for the translation of information into Punjabi.
Schools have identified a need for more effective translation services both for written information and in face to face meetings with parents. The Council's Corporate Equalities Officer Group has also identified a need for a Council wide approach to translation services and a tender is being drawn up for this. Until such times as a corporate service level agreement can be put in place, schools will continue to access translation and interpretation services via the Pupil Support Service through a company named Alpha. In the course of discussion on this matter, the Head of Service undertook to raise with the Corporate Equalities Group the possibility of a pan-Ayrshire approach to these services.
Schools will continue to work in partnership with Pupil Support Services and Community Learning and Development staff to support learners and their families and to provide an effective system to support schools in their work with pupils whose first language is not English.
The Education Executive (a) noted (i) the current position, and (ii) that the Head of service will raise with the Corporate Equalities Group the possibility of a pan-Ayrshire approach to translation and interpretation services; and (b) agreed to receive further reports at future meetings.
2. Participation of Children and Young People in Decision-making
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Educational Services) on the current arrangements in North Ayrshire for consulting and involving children and young people in decision-making.
A recent publication by the Scottish Consumer Council was critical of the attempts made by local authorities to engage young people in consultation and decision making on matters which affect them.
The report highlighted the work currently undertaken in North Ayrshire and proposed steps for improving the effectiveness of the participation of children and young people.
The Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act 2000 stipulates that:
a) Education Authorities must have due regard to the views of the child or young person in decisions which significantly affect them, in regards to the child or young person's education.
b) Education Authorities must consult children and young people on the authorities' annual statements of improvement objectives.
c) Head Teachers must state how they plan to consult pupils on, and seek to involve the pupils in, decisions about the everyday running of their schools.
The current activities undertaken within North Ayrshire schools were detailed in the report.
In addition the report indicated that an application by Young Scot Volunteers to the Scottish Government Challenge Fund secured £150,000 and has enabled the purchase of a Mobile Youth Facility, designed in partnership with young people and supporting the Modernising Government Agenda, ensuring young people can have a say in and influence the service delivery of the authority.
The report further indicated that an Annual Conference had been established in 2003 and was now a key function of the Youth Council supported by the Young Scot team.
In order to ensure greater consistency in the involvement of children and young people in consultations and decision making, guidance will be prepared for staff in all sections of Educational Services outlining expectations of good practice. Arrangements will be put in place for senior officers to meet with the Executive of the Youth Council on a regular basis to ensure that their views are taken into account at a strategic level. Draft guidance will be circulated to stakeholders for consultation.
Noted.
The meeting ended at 2.30 p.m.
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