Commenting on the Proposed Thirty Three Period Week in Secondary Schools in Dundee

Commenting on the item before the Education Committee of the City Council on Monday 26 September 2011, Consultation on the Implementation of the Thirty Three Period Week in Secondary School


I think a proposal that would lead to a change in the the start and finish time of the school day in all nine of our Secondary Schools will be of great interest to pupils and their teachers as well parents and carers.


In fact parents' and carers' first thoughts may be about the potential inconvenience of juggling working hours and out of school care and getting used to earlier finish times on two afternoons a week. 


I think we will all want to be convinced that the disruption from this change will have a worthwhile educational benefit. I met the Director of Education on Tuesday morning and gave him notice that at the Education Committee on Monday night I will have some questions for him about identifying the benefits and potential drawbacks of the proposed new timetable and its possible effect for good or bad on teaching and learning in our secondary schools.

I note that this is a proposal at this stage. The Director of Education is asking approval to go out for consultation throughout the Autumn with a report coming back to the Education Committee early next year. 

On Monday night, I shall also be proposing that we widen the consultation net. While I welcome the planned involvement of the City Wide Pupil Council, I think it would be unduly restrictive to exclude the voices of our 6000+ Secondary School pupils as well. I shall also propose the addition of a online survey for parents and carers.

Commenting on SQA Examination Results in Dundee

I congratulate our pupils on their attainment, as measured by SQA passes, in the examinations they undertook in May/June this year.  Parents and carers and of course teachers also deserve credit for their contribution to these successes.

In the Director of Education's report to the Education Committee on Monday 22 August, we have the first snapshot of the SQA examination results for this year. This compares passes as a whole in Dundee in 2011 with results in the city in earlier years.  I am sure it is not just Councillors, but parents and carers too, who will want to see the figures for each secondary school and for each subject. We have also yet to see the results in Dundee in a wider context, so we need to know how they compare with those in other Council areas and how they measure up with the national average.

On the basis of the provisional and partial figures available to me, I welcome the cautious tone in this report, especially its warning against complacency. I also endorse the ongoing emphasis on raising attainment in our schools and the reiteration of the route map to further improvement.

At this stage however, I do want to pick out the further rise in the percentage of our pupils who passed a minimum of Mathematics and English at Foundation level in Standard Grade – up from 88% to 90%. This is an important milestone.

Solar Cities Scotland Conference 2011 - Growing the Green Shoots of a Low Carbon Economy

Solar Cities Scotland are holding their 6th Annual Conference in Dundee on Friday 24 June at The Space, Dundee College:

Growing the Green Shoots of a Low Carbon Economy

This conference will explore how different approaches are being used across Scotland and Europe to make sure energy is used effectively and efficiently at different scales of community – from small rural village to large cities and even the regions.
It will also provide an excellent opportunity for networking and information sharing amongst professionals, groups and individuals that are interested in sustainable energy and low carbon living.

Places still available @ £15.