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The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
'Hard work and dedication' at the heart of Edinburgh schools
A softball to kick things off: what are the strengths of city education? How are schools able to use the unique resources available in Edinburgh– the universities and colleges, the proximity of the Scottish Government, major industry partners–to expand offerings to students? We are incredibly lucky to have the rich cultural and historical resources that Edinburgh offers available to us and encourage our primary and secondary schools to access the unique learning experiences the city provides, to support the school curriculum. Schools are actively encouraged to make the most of the unique resources on their doorsteps, including visits to the various museums and galleries. Schools also make the most of Edinburgh being a festival city, with many or our young people experiencing visits to world-class performances and experiences. Edinburgh is home to many prominent education institutions, and we partner with a number of the cities Universities and Colleges to support our learners in both their everyday learning and through a number of partnerships that provide our young people with access to college courses and career opportunities. What is the biggest challenge facing Edinburgh schools? In line with the national trend in this area, we are seeing a growth in need across our schools and settings. We support staff in our schools to address the ever-changing societal challenges that teachers and school staff encounter, including poverty, mental health, the role of technology, and meeting the individual needs of learners. In tandem with this, we are continuing to improve outcomes for learners across the board, and this remains a key priority for us. We want to sustain the positive improvements we're already seeing across our schools and settings. How is the city addressing capacity in its schools, and how will new build and expansion projects affect students and families? We have a team of officers who monitor and review capacity in our schools, with primary and secondary school roll projections reported every year to the Education, Children and Families Committee. This includes details of any school building projects underway or being planned to manage any projected increases in capacity. At present we don't have concerns around capacity in our primary or secondary schools. Compared to 2024, there has been no significant change to the number of s1 or p1 learners registered to start inAugust 2025. In our primary schools, our school rolls projections suggest a gradual citywide decline in school rolls until around 2029, this is consistent with birth rate data for the city. At some schools where capacity issues have been highlighted, we have renewal works underway or planned including at Newcraighall and Frogston primary schools. Some of our secondary schools are already undergoing major renewal projects including Wester Hailes High School, Liberton High School and Trinity Academy. A brand new Currie High School is nearing completion. Officers are monitoring the impact that the change in VAT status of independent schools might have, but the data currently available does not suggest that a high number of pupils have or intend to transfer from the independent sector to the Council's schools. The attainment gap is a major policy talking point nationally, and I know that local authorities are taking steps to address inequalities locally. What is your assessment of the attainment gap in Edinburgh schools and how are you working to close it? We are committed to offering the highest quality education, starting in our early years settings and continuing through the Broad General Education curriculum phase, which runs from early years at age 3 through primary school and up to S3, and into the senior phase. From the very start of a child's education, we aim to develop successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors We are focused on narrowing the gap between the most and least disadvantaged learners in Edinburgh and recent figures show that the attainment of leavers has improved across most measures in the national benchmarks. One of the ways we are narrowing the gap in Edinburgh is through our curriculum pathways work, which, in line with themes emerging from various education reform papers, is to provide inclusive, relevant and equitable learning opportunities using a place-based approach. We are doing this by offering learners the opportunity to experience a varied, dynamic, and engaging school day, where they see the relevance of their learning in relation to real-world career opportunities. We are optimising partnerships with colleges, universities and local employers to offer a curriculum that meets the needs of learners today. This includes our roofing, construction and stone carving pathway designed for senior phase learners to develop workplace-ready skills, enabling them to gain qualifications and to make informed choices about life beyond school. Read more Analysis of recent SQA exam results has shown a narrowing in the attainment gap between the most and least advantaged pupils in our schools. We also saw the number of passes in National Progression Awards increased by 17%, the measures of performance for pupils taking National 5 and Higher courses either increased or maintained when compared to both 2023 and 2019 performance. In the Broad General Education, the performance in numeracy is improving and the gap is narrowing, in literacy, the performance is in line with that of 2022-23. This is all down to the hard work of our young people, the dedication of our staff, and the support of parents and carers. Edinburgh is home to the first school to implement a strict mobile phone policy. Do you support the approach and have any plans or guidance for other headteachers across the city? I am pleased that two Edinburgh secondary schools have led the way in introducing a fully mobile-phone-free school environment. Research shows the positive impact that a phone-free environment can have on children and young people and the learning environment, both in the immediate and medium to long term. It has been widely reported that a reduction in phone use for a young person can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, in school and at home, and encourages a healthier approach to managing screen time. With mobile phones in classroom settings increasingly competing with teachers for the attention of learners, restricting access to mobile phones during the school day is only a positive step forward. Scottish Government guidance empowers head teachers to make a decision on the mobile phone policy that is right for their learners and their school community as a whole. Two Edinburgh secondary schools, Portobello and Queensferry High Schools, are a few weeks into piloting a phone-free approach to the school, with young people required to store their phone in a lockable pouch during the school day. The leadership teams at these two high school made the decision to pilot this policy following extensive research and engagement with their school community, with research showing that families in their communities broadly welcomed the introduction of this policy. Both schools will pilot and evaluate over the next two-year period. Implementing a pilot of this nature is requires work and not every school in the city is in a position to do this. The market for private schools in Edinburgh is famous, and from the outside, education is often seen through the lens of how many young people attend private schools in the city. What is the impact of this on City schools? Edinburgh is unique, with a higher proportion of children attending an independent school compared to other areas. From the initial point of hearing about the introduction of VAT on independent school fees, we have been strategically planning for any potential impact, including monitoring enquiries and applications for places in our schools. We have always and continue to work closely with colleagues in the private school sector in Edinburgh. We have capacity in our primary and secondary schools to accommodate learners in Edinburgh moving from the independent sector into our schools. We are ready to give all children and young people living in Edinburgh the very best start in life, regardless of where a child's school journey may have started or what part of their school journey they are approach to placing requests remains the same as it was before. We will continue to apply existing placing policy to all placing requests.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Representatives emphasize concerns in 988 text hotline bill hearing
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A hearing on a House Bill Tuesday in Missouri's Capitol was aimed at deciphering who is on the other end of the 988 hotline text messages. A text exchange between a state representative and 988 sparked attention, leading to the proposal of House Bill 1148. 'At one point we said there is a gun in the house. There is a gun to our head and it said, 'Hello. Thank you for call,'' Rep. Tricia Byrnes, District 63, said. The texts were sent at the advisement of a 988 contractor last week, according to Byrnes. 'I wanted to shed light on the 988 text never seemed to leave AI,' she said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now HB 1148 is currently in the Children and Families Committee. During Tuesday's hearing she described the 20 minute text exchange as a critical error to members of the committee. One representative tested the feature. 'As we were sitting here, I text, 'I am suicidal and want to die.' It says, 'Thank you for reaching out.' Same thing and then it proceeds to ask me what language I speak,' Rep. Raychel Proudie, District 73, added. Multiple committee members called the texts alarming Tuesday. 'I think that it is very important to understand that when you are texting this service, there is a big probability that you're not actually texting with a live human,' Rep. Holly Jones, Chair Children and Families Committee, added. Missouri 988 was signed in law in July of 2022. Byrnes said Missouri has done a great job with the suicide lifeline, but said the program is growing. Missouri woman accused in plot to sell Graceland says she'll plead guilty 'Unfortunately these growing pains will have fatal consequences if we don't get eyes on something,' she said. The Missouri Department of Mental Health did not attend Tuesday's hearing. Some of the representatives at the hearing said HB 1148 needs emergency action. 'This is terrifying and I shudder to think if I was in actual need that this would be the response that I got,' Proudie said. FOX 2 reached out to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, who sent the following statement: 'The Department of Mental Health was not testifying on the bill. The Department of Mental Health is working with its 988 national and statewide partners to address concerns.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missouri Republican proposes ‘e-Harmony for babies' database to track pregnant women ‘at risk' of seeking abortion
A Republican state lawmaker in Missouri has introduced legislation that would create a 'central registry' of pregnant people who are 'at risk for seeking an abortion,' what the bill's author called the makings of an 'e-Harmony for babies' to match with adoptive families. The legislation would also allow the state to share information from that database with law enforcement agencies, 'including those outside of this state,' the bill states. Republican state Rep. Phil Amato largely deferred questions about his 'Save MO Babies Act' during a Children and Families Committee hearing to Gerard Harms, an adoption attorney who wrote the bill. 'We're looking at something like e-Harmony for babies — mothers who want to put up their children need to match with prospective parents,' Harms told the committee Tuesday. 'That's exactly what the intent of this is. Against, inartfully drafted.' Harms said participation is voluntary and would comply with all federal health privacy laws. But skeptical state lawmakers and abortion rights advocates have raised alarms about data privacy protections and what amounts to 'government surveillance' tracking people who could seek an abortion. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, said the legislation is a reminder of prior attempts from state officials to 'track and surveil' pregnant people in the state, including a former state health department director's admission that he tracked the menstrual cycles of Planned Parenthood patients. 'The flippant and disturbing remarks heard today about establishing 'e-Harmony for babies' encouraging prospective families to shop for children should ring alarm bells for everyone,' Schwarz said in a statement to The Independent. 'No pregnant person, no child is off the table for anti-abortion politicians to exploit in order to further their own power and control over our bodies, families, and futures,' she added. Missouri House Democrats raged against the legislation on social media Monday night. 'ARE YOU SERIOUS!?' a Facebook post from the Missouri House Democratic Caucus said. 'We have to imagine even conservative Missourians would be horrified by this idea,' the post added. The Independent has requested comment from Amato. His legislation would require the Division of Maternal and Child Resources within the state's state's Department of Social Services 'to make and maintain a central registry of each expecting mother who is at risk for seeking an abortion and a central registry of each prospective adoptive parent who has successfully completed certain screenings, background checks, home studies, and other investigations to ensure the fit of the prospective parent to adopt a child.' The division 'can share records, information, and findings with federal, state, or local child welfare agency personnel and law enforcement agencies, including those outside of this state,' according to the bill. The legislation follows a state court ruling that blocks restrictions on abortion access in the state, marking a major victory for abortion rights in the GOP-controlled state. Missouri was among several states last year where voters approved ballot measures proposing state constitutional amendments to enshrine the right to abortion access in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that overturned a constitutional right to abortion and punted abortion rights to individual states. In December, a judge ruled the state's near-total abortion ban was unenforceable under the new amendment Last week, a judge blocked 'unnecessary' and 'discriminatory' requirements for certain exams and tests that other healthcare providers do not have to perform. There were more than 3,000 abortions in Missouri in 2022, according to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, the last year for which data was available — marking a 62 percent decrease from 1999, which saw more than 8,000 abortions. Abortion rights advocates are bracing for Donald Trump's administration's potential maneuvers around abortion care as he fills his presidential cabinet with anti-abortion figures and a Republican-dominated Congress revives efforts to target abortion access even in states where it is legally protected. Last month, the president signed pardons for 23 anti-abortion activists who were convicted for violating a federal law that makes it a crime to block entrances to reproductive health clinics, while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has visited with anti-abortion officials who want to target prescription abortion drugs. Trump's administration also removed reproductive healthcare information from government websites. The administration's reinstatement of the so-called 'global gag rule' and threats to foreign aid have also significantly disrupted reproductive healthcare globally. Nearly three years after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, nearly half of U.S. states ban or severely restrict access to abortion.
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Missouri Republican proposes ‘e-Harmony for babies' database to track pregnant women ‘at risk' of seeking abortion
A Republican state lawmaker in Missouri has introduced legislation that would create a 'central registry' of pregnant people who are 'at risk for seeking an abortion,' what the bill's author called the makings of an 'e-Harmony for babies' to match with adoptive families. The legislation would also allow the state to share information from that database with law enforcement agencies, 'including those outside of this state,' the bill states. Republican state Rep. Phil Amato largely deferred questions about his 'Save MO Babies Act' during a Children and Families Committee hearing to Gerard Harms, an adoption attorney who wrote the bill. 'We're looking at something like e-Harmony for babies — mothers who want to put up their children need to match with prospective parents,' Harms told the committee Tuesday. 'That's exactly what the intent of this is. Against, inartfully drafted.' Harms said participation is voluntary and would comply with all federal health privacy laws. But skeptical state lawmakers and abortion rights advocates have raised alarms about data privacy protections and what amounts to 'government surveillance' tracking people who could seek an abortion. Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, said the legislation is a reminder of prior attempts from state officials to 'track and surveil' pregnant people in the state, including a former state health department director's admission that he tracked the menstrual cycles of Planned Parenthood patients. 'The flippant and disturbing remarks heard today about establishing 'e-Harmony for babies' encouraging prospective families to shop for children should ring alarm bells for everyone,' Schwarz said in a statement to The Independent. 'No pregnant person, no child is off the table for anti-abortion politicians to exploit in order to further their own power and control over our bodies, families, and futures,' she added. Missouri House Democrats raged against the legislation on social media Monday night. 'ARE YOU SERIOUS!?' a Facebook post from the Missouri House Democratic Caucus said. 'We have to imagine even conservative Missourians would be horrified by this idea,' the post added. The Independent has requested comment from Amato. His legislation would require the Division of Maternal and Child Resources within the state's state's Department of Social Services 'to make and maintain a central registry of each expecting mother who is at risk for seeking an abortion and a central registry of each prospective adoptive parent who has successfully completed certain screenings, background checks, home studies, and other investigations to ensure the fit of the prospective parent to adopt a child.' The division 'can share records, information, and findings with federal, state, or local child welfare agency personnel and law enforcement agencies, including those outside of this state,' according to the bill. The legislation follows a state court ruling that blocks restrictions on abortion access in the state, marking a major victory for abortion rights in the GOP-controlled state. Missouri was among several states last year where voters approved ballot measures proposing state constitutional amendments to enshrine the right to abortion access in the wake of the Supreme Court 's 2022 ruling that overturned a constitutional right to abortion and punted abortion rights to individual states. In December, a judge ruled the state's near-total abortion ban was unenforceable under the new amendment Last week, a judge blocked 'unnecessary' and 'discriminatory' requirements for certain exams and tests that other healthcare providers do not have to perform. There were more than 3,000 abortions in Missouri in 2022, according to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, the last year for which data was available — marking a 62 percent decrease from 1999, which saw more than 8,000 abortions. Abortion rights advocates are bracing for Donald Trump 's administration's potential maneuvers around abortion care as he fills his presidential cabinet with anti-abortion figures and a Republican-dominated Congress revives efforts to target abortion access even in states where it is legally protected. Last month, the president signed pardons for 23 anti-abortion activists who were convicted for violating a federal law that makes it a crime to block entrances to reproductive health clinics, while U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has visited with anti-abortion officials who want to target prescription abortion drugs. Trump's administration also removed reproductive healthcare information from government websites. The administration's reinstatement of the so-called 'global gag rule' and threats to foreign aid have also significantly disrupted reproductive healthcare globally. Nearly three years after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, nearly half of U.S. states ban or severely restrict access to abortion.
