Latest news with #Hyndland
The Herald Scotland
21-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
How one Glasgow school used new courses to open pathways for pupils
In an effort to open up the options available to young people, staff at Hyndland decided to introduce a new qualification: a National Progression Award in Computer Games Development. The experience with that course was largely positive. The lack of an exam at the end of a NPA was a key benefit for many, and the school found that young people taking part were more engaged because they were being permitted to focus on and pursue a really specific area of interest. So when a new NPA in Cybersecurity was introduced in 2015, the school once again decided to give it a go. But even with their existing experience of these courses, and a committed Computing Science department, this new programme seemed daunting, with students to be given the chance to explore areas such as data security, digital forensics and, most worrying of all, ethical hacking. Fortunately, the department's earlier work paid off at this point when a former student now working in the field offered to work with the school to establish the programme. 'I thought it sounded really interesting,' explains George Mullin, a computing teacher at the school, 'and one of my ex-pupils had gone on to study cyber security at Glasgow Caledonian University. We were still in touch with each other so I mentioned it to him and he was really generous with his time. He was showing me the systems that the university used and I thought that looked fantastic.' Despite the enthusiasm for developing the course, the technical logistics were still an issue – but when the university agreed to allow teachers and pupils to use their software, the possibilities really opened up. 'We became a pilot school to basically get this up and working, and obviously we had to configure that to match the needs of the NPA course that we're delivering. So there was a lot of work done around that and ironing out the kind of technical issues, but once we had that proof of concept we thought we could roll that out to other schools in Glasgow that are looking at deliver the NPA.' CyberFirst lead teacher at Hyndland Secondary George Mullin (Image: Gordon Terris) Today, schools across Glasgow benefit from this relationship with Glasgow Caledonian University, allowing many more young people to pursue a course that may otherwise have remained too difficult to deliver. Mr Mullin is also keen to highlight the support of Education Scotland, which in recent years has provided access to a platform called TryHackMe. The support they have received, combined with the hard work of staff, has helped to ensure that these new courses can offer real value for students at Hyndland: 'We could do the bare minimum and just get through the course but because we've got these toys, for want of a better expression, to play with it makes it a much richer learning experience for the kids.' That is clearly beneficial for those completing this particular programme, but the school has also seen wider benefits. Some of those completing NPA courses in the school's Business and Computing Faculty have used them as a bridge between National 5 and Higher qualifications, and broader interest in Computing Science as a subject also seems to have improved. And benefits go further still. The success of these innovations has helped school to develop other NPA offers and even inspired more options for BGE. One example of this work has culminated in Hyndland achieving the Gold Award in the CyberFirst programme, which has been developed by the National Cyber Security Centre in GCHQ, and coming first in Scotland for the recent Cyberfirst Girls' Competition. According to headteacher Louise Edgerton, the success of programmes like Cybersecurity the NPA show the importance of opening up 'pathways' for students in schools, and working to ensure that as many options as possible are made available to them. And for the computing department, the results are clear: 'We've get kids in our department now that we probably wouldn't have if we weren't offering these opportunities,' Mr Mullin says. 'That's the bottom line.'
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Jailed, pervert anaesthetist who used spy cameras to secretly film 30 people
A pervert doctor who secretly spied on 30 different people has been jailed for 18 months. Ju Young Um, 34, hid tiny cameras in air fresheners and a smoke alarm in the bathroom and spare bedroom of his flat in Hyndland, in Glasgow 's west end. Um also filmed a friend and doctor at staff accommodation in Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. The anaesthetist filmed people naked, showering, using the toilet and having sex but denied doing anything illegal. Instead, he claimed he had body dysmorphia - a condition where sufferers obsess over apparent flaws in their appearance. Um said this was only diagnosed after he was arrested. However, a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court decided that Um's sick acts were done for his sexual gratification. Um was found guilty to a total of 23 charges against the Sexual Offences Act between November 2020 and August 2023. Of his 30 victims, 21 were men and nine were women. Three of the men and one woman were doctors. Sheriff Owen Mullan told Um: 'Given the seriousness of this matter, it is rightfully acknowledged that the custodial threshold has been passed. 'You were convicted unanimously and the jury did not accept your position at trial. Your victims were friends, colleagues and some who rented a room from you - they were unaware of your activities. 'Jurors heard of the shock and distress suffered by some of your victims. They also heard you had hours and hours of footage and this spanned over a number of years. 'Because of the gravity of this offence, a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal.' Um was also put under supervision for nine months upon his release from prison and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. The court heard that Um initially recorded his first victim in secret with a mobile through a window while he showered. He later attached a camera to a smoke alarm of the fellow's doctor's bedroom at the hospital. The footage also captured intimate footage between the man and his partner. Fiscal Lauren Aitchison asked the doctor what he thought about Um's actions. He replied: 'It makes me feel shocked, betrayed and disgusted. Not only because it invaded my privacy but my now wife's as well. 'I feel like I let her down letting this person into our lives - someone who I trusted in work in a professional capacity. I feel let down and horrified.' Another doctor was filmed on the toilet at Um's home. He initially knew Um from university and went for dinner at his house. The doctor stated that he was 'shocked and betrayed' upon learning that he had been spied on. Jurors were told that a further medic had nine recordings made of him showering and using the toilet over a three-month period. Um rented out his spare bedroom to others at his property on Airbnb. Miss Aitchison said in her closing speech to jurors: 'Um violated their trust - he recorded them naked, showering, using the toilet and on some occasions having sex. 'He had the videos saved automatically into a folder which was backed up on hard drives and pen drives just in case.' Um told jurors in his evidence that he was diagnosed with 'suspected gigantism' when he was a teenager and claimed he was concerned about how his body looked compared to others. Jurors heard that he did not seek medical help until 20 years later. Miss Aitchison added: 'His diagnoses of body dysmorphia does not come until after he was arrested. 'He said all these years led to extremes of secretly recording people. Why wait until you are caught to get private treatment?' Um further said he did not want to view images on Google in case he came across illegal photographs. He also claimed that he did not view pornography as it was 'exaggerated and bigger than your normal male.' Um stated that he also did not compare himself with his patients as they were 'people who trusted him.' It is believed he has latterly been working as a lecturer and is presently suspended from working as a doctor. Ian Sievwright, defending said his client is aware of the 'harm and distress he has caused his victims.' The lawyer added: 'He is a highly educated man - a hospital doctor who lost his job and career and is now on the sex offenders register. 'He accepts wrongdoing and accepts on reflection that his behaviour was morally wrong and was criminal.' Following the sentencing, Fraser Gibson, procurator fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, said: 'Ju Young Um carried out these invasive offences in a calculated and premeditated manner. 'He abused a position of trust to significantly violate the privacy of numerous in-dividuals for his own sexual gratification. 'I give thanks to all those involved in securing this prosecution, which has held Um accountable while also protecting others from harm.' Detective Sergeant Cameron Gilchrist added: 'Ju Young Um now faces the consequences of his despicable and distressing actions.'
