At the next Education Committee (Monday 23rd January 2012) there is a report about responses to the consultation about the 33 period week. This consultation was about a proposal to standardise the school week across the 9 secondary schools in Dundee.
It is clear from the committee report that this proposal neither persuaded parents and carers nor teachers. With such a mixed response, it is not surprising that the proposal has been withdrawn.
There is however a crucial question which is not contained within the report and requires answers at the Education Committee.
In the presentation which was used at the consultation events, the preferred timetable had thirty one periods of 50 minutes with the addition of one daily twenty minute period, called Tutorial, which combined the functions of registration and some roles connected with guidance. Attenders at the consultation were all told that Tutor Time was necessary as part of meeting the new pupil entitlement in the Curriculum,for Excellence. More specifically, that each pupil should have one teacher that knows her/him particularly well. How will this entitlement now be met for every one of our pupils in her/his secondary school?
It is long overdue that the Education Committee are informed about the next steps the Education Department are proposing for the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence in our schools, not merely providing a report telling us what it isn't going to do.
