|
We will invest in our young people by bringing childcare, education, training and employment opportunities to where they live and work. Getting on need not mean going away. |
Young people are Scotland's future. Through our policies and activities, we want to create opportunities which can be enjoyed by people throughout Scotland. Geography, distance and population sparsity are facts of life, but we need to find new ways of ensuring they do not act as barriers which prevent our young people from reaching their full social and economic potential. Young people in rural Scotland should be given the same freedom to choose education, training and career paths as their contemporaries elsewhere in Scotland, without being forced to leave their communities, if they would prefer to remain there.
Childcare and School Education
Educational attainment levels in rural areas are of a high standard, but we recognise that the nature and size of rural communities often means that we need to take a different approach to the provision of education in these communities.
The development of pre-school education and childcare in some rural communities
can pose a particular challenge. The cost of pre-school provision in rural areas
is generally higher than average, as the number of children is low, meaning
that overhead costs are spread across few children. Ensuring access also needs
careful planning. Transporting very young children is not straightforward: their
attendance may only be for a part-time session; and they require supervision
and often special seats. It can also be difficult to obtain adequate staff resource
for
pre-school education in some rural areas.
We recognise these features and have provided extra funding -a rural supplement to the pre-school education grant of £6 million in 2000/01. In addition, £1.5 million of the Childcare Strategy GAE is skewed towards rural areas. As importantly, we are working with local authorities to develop new innovative approaches. Good examples include developing very local services which overcome the need to transport young children over large distances. For example, in the Western Isles, where there is only one local authority nursery, pre-school provision is currently secured through an extensive partnership with 34 providers in the voluntary and private sector. The Comhairle has used the funding available to it, for example through the Pre-School Rural Supplement, in innovative and imaginative ways to improve premises, invest in staff and their training, support community-led transport provision, and developing plans for IT and visual links to facilitate the exchange of information and experience.
|
The Childcare in Rural Scotland is run by Children in Scotland. The Programme began in October 1999, and will finish in March 2001. It aims to enhance implementation of the Childcare Strategy and tackle the particular challenges to building and sustaining childcare services in rural Scotland. It is doing this by working with Childcare Partnerships, childcare providers, enterprise networks and employers. The main areas of work are to:
|
We also recognise the importance of ensuring that good practice is spread across rural communities, and we are therefore funding a development project to examine good practice in the delivery of integrated childcare and pre-school education in rural areas. Part of the project will investigate innovative practice in the delivery of training in rural areas and then disseminate results (see Case Study).
Parents with very young children often benefit from broad-based support which
includes opportunities for children's play and childcare, but also allows adults
to build skills and confidence and gives them access to advice. We are providing
£42 million over 3 years to expand such support through Sure Start Scotland.
Funding has been distributed to all local authorities on a weighted basis to
reflect population, deprivation and rurality.
It is clear that different models of support will be required to deliver
services in rural areas. Innovative plans include mobile support where services
and equipment are taken to small villages or isolated areas; mini family centres
which aim to provide a full range of services often delivered in community halls
or other similar venues at regular times; and services delivered on an outreach
basis to individual homes.
Effective delivery of the education service in rural areas requires from local authorities a distinctive approach to ensure that pupils are able not only to attend school but have access to the full range of the modern curriculum. Similarly distinctive approaches are needed to provide support for teachers in small and remote schools.
From time to time it is necessary for local authorities to review whether the network of rural schools in their areas continues to serve modern needs and population trends. This often leads to a debate about closing schools. The procedures in place ensure that local consultation must take place on a closure proposal to ensure that the educational, financial and community issues relating to the closure proposal are fully aired and taken into account.
Small schools are a distinctive part of Scotland's educational structure. There are almost 800 primary schools with rolls lower than 100 children. It is important that these schools ensure for the children attending them the fullest educational experience and that they receive the widest possible opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge to equip them for their future life. A key priority of the Scottish Executive is to raise standards in all Scotland's schools and that applies equally in rural areas as elsewhere.
The Standards in Scotland's Schools Etc. Bill was introduced to Parliament
in January 2000 and will provide a framework
under which all schools can plan for improvement in agreed key priorities. The
role of the authority to support schools in making improvements towards agreed
targets in these areas will be clear under that framework. In this way the balance
between local and national priorities will be established and the circumstances
of small schools in rural areas will be properly taken into account.
This will build on existing approaches where the needs of small rural schools are reflected.
under their Alternatives to Exclusion Programme, Scottish Borders recognise the importance of promoting social inclusion in a rural community. The authority have developed a programme in which tailor-made provision, including a range of agencies, is offered within the community so that the need to access residential education outwith the area is reduced.
As part of the Early Intervention initiative in Highland, teachers have developed homework packs and held sessions for parents on reading and writing so that parents are able to assist in their children's learning at home.
Children living within the predominantly rural area of Argyll and Bute are disadvantaged in the provision of extra-curricular activities. Consequently, in their supported study programme the Council use a variety of methods to ensure that all children have access to enhanced study support such as audio/video conferencing tutorials for targeted under-achievers and Freephone helplines for assistance with homework.
|
Alness New Community School The catchment area for the Alness New Community School cluster in Highland is mixed small town urban and rural. It brings together Alness Academy with its 5 associated primary schools and associated nursery schools. Although the NCS is still in the early stages of its development, it has produced an implementation plan in consultation with parents, local community representatives, teachers and pupils, and activity is underway on the development of multi-disciplinary in-service training, breakfast clubs and healthier options in school canteens, increased study support and alternatives to exclusion. |
The New Community Schools pilot programme aims to help pupils and their families, addressing needs in the round through the integrated provision of school education, social work, family support and health education and promotion services. It is targeted on communities which face the greatest challenge, including many in rural areas. The pilot programme will consist of about 60 projects across Scotland each funded for 3 years at a total cost of £26.6 million. It is intended that each local authority will have 2 projects by 2001. An example is the Alness NCS, described in the Case Study above.
Our investment of over £100m over 3 years to develop the National Grid for Learning in Scotland will bring modern ICT infrastructure and content material for learning and teaching to all Scottish schools. Rural schools stand to benefit particularly from this initiative, through better communications technology, including e-mail, access to the Internet and videoconferencing.
Lifelong Learning
In further and higher education, information and communications technology is key to the Executive's work in overcoming the barrier of geography, through distance learning and support "down the wire". The Case Study on Heriot-Watt University shows its potential.
|
Videoconferencing in Argyll and Bute Education Over the last 6 years, Argyll and Bute Education Department has been working in partnership with BT to establish videoconferencing in some of its most remote areas. To date, 7 primary co-operative groups and all 10 secondary schools are equipped with video-conferencing. The aim of the project is to reduce curricular, professional and peer isolation, ensuring that every pupil and teacher in Argyll and Bute, irrespective of location, has access to a range of skills, attitudes and approaches in teaching and learning. A range of educational applications has now been established, including shared primary projects carried out at distance between several schools; subject specialist support to primary schools; distance tutorials between secondary departments; management meetings linking several sites via videoconferencing. Other areas of the education service such as learning support and careers are now considering the use of videoconferencing as a means of increasing the support they currently offer. |
Local Learning Centres
Local learning centres are a key element in the delivery of our lifelong learning vision in rural areas. They are provided by a range of organisations and can be based in a college, a school, or a library, or in less traditional "lifestyle" locations, like community centres or shopping centres. The Case Study on Argyll College is a good example of how local learning centres can provide a service to local communities, irrespective of where they are.
|
photoHeriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University, operating from its Scottish Borders Campus in Galashiels provides higher education in the Scottish Borders. Heriot-Watt collaborates in making its provision with Borders College. Last year, it opened a new outreach centre in Hawick, known as "Heriot-Watt University @ Borders College", underlining its commitment to the Scottish Borders. The University is aiming to improve access and extend and diversify provision of higher education and lifelong learning in the Scottish Borders. Key elements in developing this strategy will be to develop strong learning partnerships with other key players such as Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Enterprise Borders, Borders College and local secondary schools, and to enhance communications networks. A major theme that the University would like to develop rapidly through the Scottish Borders Campus is sustainable and environmental technologies. It also sees an opportunity to capitalise on local expertise by exploiting opportunities in the emerging markets in Technical Textiles. |
Scottish University for Industry (learndirect Scotland)
The Scottish University for Industry, now branded learndirect Scotland, will be launched in the Autumn. It will be an important new asset in encouraging and facilitating learning especially in rural Scotland. learndirect Scotland will act as a broker, connecting businesses and employees who want to learn with ways of doing so, at the time and place that suits them best. From the autumn of 2000, learndirect Scotland will engage learners through its freephone helpline 0800 100 900, its website and through the network of learning centres it will accredit across Scotland. Through the Capital Modernisation Fund, learndirect Scotland will encourage the creation of learning centres in non-traditional locations which fill geographical gaps and enhance existing centres to meet learndirect Scotland standards.
Open Rural College for Scotland
We provide funding by grant-in-aid to the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) to provide dedicated programmes of education and training which are specifically designed to support rural employment. We will continue to commission such programmes to fulfil Government objectives for the rural sector. We will also support the Open Rural College of Scotland (ORCS), a new initiative by SAC and the land-based colleges to deliver courses via the Internet, to benefit the rural sector. The types of courses which ORCS will offer will include courses on e-commerce, designed to assist rural business to access wider markets.
|
Argyll College Argyll College was created to address the long-standing gap in the education and training infrastructure in Argyll and the Islands. It is located in 8 learning centres in Tiree, Fionnphort, Bowmore, Campbeltown, Tobermory, Dunoon, Rothesay and Dunstaffnage. A further centre in Arran is planned to open in September 2000 in partnership with North Ayrshire Council, local groups in Arran and James Watt College. All learning centres are inter-connected by ICT, and with the rest of the UHI network, enabling teleconferencing and other distance learning input as well as Internet access from individual PCs at each centre. Argyll College has been chosen as a Microsoft case study on the use of ICT in education. To deliver and develop course provision, Argyll College has entered into agreements with Perth College, Thurso College, Lewis Castle College, Orkney College and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). The College is also working with UHI to develop the higher education curriculum. |
Training Opportunities
The provision of quality training opportunities is essential to ensure that young people in our rural areas can have skilled, quality jobs. This benefits them and the rural economy as a whole.
Training for Work is the Scottish Executive's main training programme for adults aged 25 or over who have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. Entry to Training for Work is also available for young people aged 18-24 who have a disability and/or learning difficulty and who are not claiming Job Seekers Allowance. The programme is currently under review. As part of the review, public meetings have been held in every LEC area throughout Scotland and focus group research has been undertaken in 3 rural/remote areas to ensure that the particular needs of people living in rural areas are taken into account.
It is also important that opportunities are geared to the particular circumstances of rural areas. That is why a sub-group of the New Deal Advisory Task Force for Scotland has been established to look at the problems and issues being faced by New Deal clients living in rural Scotland. This group, which is currently chaired by the Executive, is tasked with identifying the problems being encountered in the delivery of New Deal in rural areas, promoting solutions and encouraging the spread of good practice across rural Scotland.
Some young unemployed people require extra help to prepare them for the world of work. The New Futures Fund is a distinctive Scottish approach to welfare to work building on New Deal initiatives, and is delivered through the Enterprise Network. The New Futures Fund is supporting a number of projects working with clients in rural Scotland.
|
photoNew Futures Sutherland New Futures Sutherland is a project wholly funded by the New Futures Fund. It aims to help unemployed people aged 16 to 34 across Sutherland who are not already in employment or on a training programme, by assisting them in becoming more readily employable. Partners include the Sutherland Partnership, Sutherland Drug and Alcohol Forum, North West Training Centre, Sutherland Council on Alcohol, Highland Council Community Education, Highland Council Development Service and East Sutherland Council of Voluntary Service. Clients can either nominate themselves or be referred by the GP, community nurse, social worker, Employment Service or other agencies. Each client is individually assessed by the project leader, and matched with a local project worker who provides mentoring support. In the first year (1999-2000), 35 clients were helped, of whom 15 are still on the project, 11 have obtained employment and 5 moved on to training or higher education. In the second year, the project aims to help 30 clients. |
Our Approach
Young people will often want to move away from home _ spread their wings _ and some opportunities will always be linked to a particular place, but the Executive is determined to do more to allow people to remain in rural areas without losing the chance to fulfil their potential. The aim at the beginning of the chapter will take time to achieve but we are working towards it by:
providing additional resources for early education and childcare in rural areas and funding a Development Project aimed at tackling the particular problems of providing childcare in rural areas;
delivering high quality education opportunities in rural areas, through the Standards in Scotland's Schools Etc. Bill, the substantial additional resources being invested in schools, and initiatives such as New Community Schools and the National Grid for Learning;
encouraging the establishment of more further education outreach centres,
and more local learning centres, making use of local facilities, to bring
choice in further education and learning to rural communities;
supporting the progress of a University of the Highlands and Islands, and invstigating a South of Scotland University;
maximising the benefits for rural areas of the Scottish University for Industry (learndirect Scotland) being launched in the autumn; and
addressing particular problems and issues being faced by New Deal clients in rural areas, through the Rural Issues Sub-Group of the New Deal Advisory Task Force for Scotland.