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Scottish teachers' chance to shine
10/10/2005
Two inspirational Scottish teachers are in the running to be named UK Teacher of the Year.
Moira Mackenzie, from Invergordon, and Edinburgh's Joe Walker will represent Scotland at the 2005 UK Teaching Awards in London on Sunday (October 16).
They have already scooped the inspirational teacher awards at the Scottish Education Awards in June. This is the first time that the Scottish winners have gone forward to the UK awards.
Education Minister Peter Peacock, who will be in London to support Moira and Joe, said:
"Moira and Joe have played an outstanding role in supporting and motivating their pupils and I wish them every success in the UK Teaching Award finals.
"The Scottish Education Awards showcase excellence and innovation in Scotland's schools. There is excellent work going on in our schools day in, day out.
"These awards are a chance to put some of it in the spotlight and let others see just how much there is to be proud of in Scottish education."
Moira Mackenzie is a nursery teacher at Park Primary in Invergordon. She has helped develop a range of initiatives in the school including a nursery handbook, story sacks, monthly newsletters and an accessible whiteboard for parents and carers. She won the Inspirational Teacher of the Year in a Primary School at the Scottish Education Awards.
Joe Walker is principal teacher of religious and moral education at Liberton High School in Edinburgh, where he has worked for the past 14 years. He has set up a global citizenship group to help a school in India, runs numerous extra-curricular groups and set up the student council to allow pupils to have their say. He won the Inspirational Teacher of the year in a Secondary School at the Scottish Education Awards.
The UK Teaching Awards have been run annually since 1999. The Scottish Education Awards have taken place every year since 2002.