This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Financial aid for school discipline
16/12/2002
An additional £30 million is to be made available from
the Scottish Budget over the next three years - £10 million
per year - to support local authorities in implementing the
recommendations of the Discipline Task Group, it was
announced today.
Education Minister Cathy Jamieson said the long-term
funding framework would promote positive behaviour and help
create the right environment for learning in every school
in Scotland.
Speaking at St Conval's Primary School in Glasgow, Ms
Jamieson said:
"Positive behaviour in school is essential in raising
attainment and achievement. Indiscipline puts the hard work
of pupils and teachers at risk.
"I want to ensure that local authorities and schools
have the right support in implementing discipline policies
which support learning and teaching.
"Much has already been achieved since our Joint Action
Plan to take forward the Discipline Task Group
recommendations was published this time last year. We have
made resources available for home-school link workers and
auxiliary staff, funded work on pupil support bases, and
rolled out the New Community School approach across the
country.
"The commitment to funding will allow local authorities
and schools to plan ahead. They will also have flexibility
in using this new funding. It will be for individual
authorities and individual headteachers to decide how best
to use it to meet local needs.
"Good discipline is essential for every pupil and for
the ethos of every school. We must ensure positive
behaviour is encouraged and that there are effective
sanctions to deal with indiscipline."
This is a table showing the allocations by Education
Authorities of £10m made available this year and represents
an approximate indication of what education authorities may
receive in future years:
Aberdeen City £351,813
Aberdeenshire £472,123
Angus £217,196
Argyll & Bute £179,486
Clackmannanshire £97,672
Dumfries & Galloway £299,630
Dundee City £274,578
East Ayrshire £244,756
East Dunbartonshire £243,117
East Lothian £172,614
East Renfrewshire £202,367
Edinburgh City £692,680
Eilean Siar £69,999
Falkirk £276,610
Fife £686,650
Glasgow City £1,126,768
Highland £457,374
Inverclyde £173,722
Midlothian £167,330
Moray £174,088
North Ayrshire £282,560
North Lanarkshire £675,985
Orkney £49,814
Perth & Kinross £245,325
Renfrewshire £358,397
Scottish Borders £206,770
Shetland £60,845
South Ayrshire £223,154
South Lanarkshire £614,264
Stirling £169,953
West Dunbartonshire £204,421
West Lothian £327,941
The Discipline Task Group (DTG) report 'Better Behaviour
- Better Learning' was published on June 19, 2001. It
contained 36 recommendations for schools, local
authorities, and the Executive.
A Joint Action Plan from the Executive, COSLA,
Association of Directors of Education and Association of
Directors of Social Work was launched by Cathy Jamieson
on December 12, 2001.
This included £10m to kick-start the expansion of pupil
support bases, and £3m to support authorities in reviewing
their discipline policies.
Ms Jamieson announced a further £10m funding on August
26, 2002 to help take forward two key DTG recommendations -
providing additional auxillary staff to supervise pupils
between lessons and during lunch breaks; and providing
home-school links workers to ease the transition back to
education for those truanting or excluded from school.
Local authorities will have flexibility in allocating
the resources announced today for DTG implementation.
St Conval's Primary School is in the Pollokshaws area of
Glasgow. A recent HMIE report on the school identified:
teachers' high expectations of pupils' behaviour and
achievement, the positive school ethos and high quality of
pastoral care; and the commitment of staff and quality of
pupils' learning.