Convener To Meet Youth Voice Representatives

The Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Alison Magee, is to meet representatives of Highland Youth Voice next week to assure them that pupils wishing to take Advanced Higher courses will  still  be able to do so.

Councillor Magee will be joined by Councillor Andy Anderson, Chairman of the Council’s Education Culture and Sport Committee and Director of Education Culture and Sport, Bruce Robertson, at the meeting to be held on Tuesday at Inverness.

She said: “I look forward to meeting with Highland Youth Voice to explain the background to this matter. The impression has been given that there are to be significant cuts in curriculum options across all Highland schools and I will take the opportunity to assure our students and their families that this is not the case.”

The Council’s analysis of the current situation, arising from a Scottish Executive  directive to reduce the  time a teacher has class contact to 22.5 hours, is that there will be the ability in the vast majority of the 29 secondary schools in Highland to absorb the 22.5 hours entitlement within current staffing entitlements.

Councillor Magee said:  “I can tell young people that no pupil will be disadvantaged.  Where schools identify gaps in Advanced Higher courses, we will work with them to examine a range of options to address matters.”

Mr Robertson said the options would include the targeting of additional probationary teachers to specific schools and use of the very successful Scholar Programme. In Inverness, where there are five secondary schools, it would be possible to establish a consortium arrangement. Video conferencing could be used to allow schools to work together, particularly in rural areas.

He said: “Highland secondary schools have traditionally been able to offer a good selection of courses to senior pupils and I am sure that this will be no different this coming session."