Questions and Actions

Communication

Communicating with the Council/ Communicating with Parents

Communicating with Argyll & Bute Council- Parents/Carers/Parent Councils/Wider Community

Who to contact:

  • Pippa Milne, Chief Executive , Argyll & Bute Council
  • Douglas Hendry, Executive Director, Argyll & Bute Council
  • Find your local Councillor

https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/councillor_list_view

  • Jenni Minto, MSP 
  • Donald Cameron, MSP

Who can the parents/carers/wider community direct questions to on the Education Change Programme (now referred to as the “Collective Leadership Model”)?

Please note some community members in Argyll and Bute are sending their questions to their local Councillors to ask them on their behalf. It has been indicated to WISE4ALL that Councillors have and will be attending information sessions on the proposal.

• What is the process for asking questions on general education matters?
• Why is it so difficult to access information and receive answers to questions?
• The current system is unnecessarily bureaucratic, protracted, and ineffective.
• The language used is often technical and difficult to understand. Often the wrong word is used for instance when consultation is used when what the Council is really doing is informing parents therefore confusing parents and meaning expectations are not met. Persistence, patience and real determination is required to get a satisfactory answer.
• The proposal is in breach of the Parental Engagement Act

https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/getting-involved/scottish-schools-parental-involvement-act/

Communication between parent councils and parents/carers/wider community

  • Some parent councils don’t have sufficient resources to deal with these issues. Some need more parental help, they felt they need more meetings, and not all have access to parent email addresses through the school system.

Have you got a question? Contact us and we will do our best to answer it

More people who have a say

COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE (16 Members + 3 Church Representatives and 2 Teacher Representatives – matters of Education as detailed below)

Councillor Jim Anderson
Councillor Liz McCabe 
Councillor Donnie MacMillan BEM 
Councillor Mary-Jean Devon
Councillor Lorna Douglas
Councillor Kieron Green (Vice Chair)
Councillor Graham Archibald Hardie
Councillor Audrey Forrest
Councillor Gordon Blair
Councillor Julie McKenzie
Councillor Yvonne McNeilly (Chair)
Vacant
Councillor Iain Paterson
Councillor Alan Reid
Councillor Elaine Robertson
Councillor Gemma Penfold 

Margaret Anderson (Roman Catholic Representative)
Vacancy (Scottish Episcopal Representative)
William Stewart Shaw(Church of Scotland Representative)
Alison Palmer (Teacher Representative)
Willie Hamilton (Teacher Representative)

Curriculum

Curriculm & Aligned Timetables

Curriculum

  • Will we be consulted on curriculum given the magnitude of the changes?

Aligning School Timetables

  • Is this the real reason for aligning school timetables?
Who will be Consulted?

Consultation

  • When how and who will be consulted? The process has now commenced, please check the Council's website. (note the timetable is subject to change). The date for returning responses has been extended to the 4th March 2022.
  • Will the consultation be in line with Scottish government guidance?

Consulting Students

  • It is indicated in the timetable that students will be consulted, and it will be interesting to see how this undertaken.

Flawed

The initial proposal (in June 2021) was “buried” in a lengthy meeting agenda for the Community Services Committee meeting. This has led some to believe that it was hoped the proposal would slip through unnoticed and unhindered. The very short time frame parents were given to consider the 97 page proposal before it was considered by the Community Services Committee in June 2021 has resulted in mistrust of the Council’s intentions. Thankfully, communities secured consultation in June 2021 through letter writing, petitions, emails etc. and we are now being consulted on “The Collective Leadership Model”.

Timing

Timing

  • Is this the right time to be implementing these strategic changes? Stability and certainty are key at the moment.
  • Why are we considering changes on school leadership now?  The secondary exams board (the SQA) and Education Scotland’s responsibility for inspecting schools are currently being reformed. The Scottish Government have a desire to empower our school leaders, so why sweeping changes before the national agenda comes to its conclusions?
  • The initial proposal document was hidden in a lengthy meeting agenda for the Community Services Committee in June, and was only released to parents shortly before the meeting to parents for consideration. This has also led to mistrust of the Council’s intentions as some did not have time to respond to the proposal and request consultation

We need to ensure proposed changes enhance our Education system and “do no harm” to our communities. We need to protect the sustainability of island life! To do this we need the sources of evidence, opinions, research, literature on which this proposal is based. Without the necessary evidence we can’t evaluate this proposal. If you make a significant purchase such as house you would usually want to see the Home Report, The Search Report etc. to evaluate/make a decision or comment we need to know how this model has been evaluated across Argyll and Bute, the evidence basis for it, the research/opinion used, and how it has been risk-assessed to ensure it will “do no harm”.

Impact on Staff
  • Will this model place a greater burden of work on smaller staff teams?
  • Will this mode impact current staffing levels in the longer-term?
  • How will these changes be funded to ensure staffing levels are maintained/increased?
  • A significant number of Argyll & Bute staff are on temporary contracts, why?
  • Staff teams are high valued, they are not commodities, how will the changes proposed affect their health, and well-being and how will this be evaluated?
  • If specialist teachers are to work with different schools will this be in person or by VC Learning? If it is by VC Learning who will support the pupils without a physical teacher present?
  • We need to the timetable for VC Learning in schools and what commitment is there to investment in this?
  • It has recently been indicated that staff will be permitted to give feedback. Will they be comfortable doing so?
  • How does this model present better career progression?
  • How will these changes affect all our school staff at a time when certainty and stability are key?

Difficulty Recruiting Staff

Why do we have difficulty recruiting staff?  We live in a beautiful area, and we have a great way of life. Is it time for a re-think of recruitment policy, tailored to specific needs rather than a standard process?

E.I.S Petition

The Teaching Union E.I.S. is conducting a petition to seek the views of its teaching members and others.  Here is the link to form.  https://www.eis.org.uk/Argyll-And-Bute/Petition

Islands

Islands – Comment has been made that the proposal is not in the spirit of the Islands Act, which aim is to

“ support and help the unique  needs of Scotland’s islands now and in the future. It also seeks to create the right environment for sustainable growth and empowered communities”

  • How will this model be adopted to meet island needs?
  • Will smaller islands have island- based teaching staff?
  • What will happen to “tied “accommodation for staff under this model?

“If your policy, strategy or service is a regional or area-based one or if it is intended to have the same impact across the region or area, you should think about whether there are potential island impacts which differ from the regional impact or whether there are any barriers which may unfairly disadvantage islanders”.

  • It is not evident whether the potential impact on islands has been considered or assessed.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/island-communities-impact-assessments-guidance-toolkit/pages/2/

There is now some information regarding how islands and their needs may fit into this proposal. This is something community organisations and community members have been pursuing information on for some time. We note references to islands in a report presented to the Community Services Committee on the 16th December, and this information is available from the Councils website in papers shared in advance of the meeting on-line. Concern remains as to how this will work in practice and how the needs of individual islands will be met as each island has its own specific needs. It is vital for the sustainability of island life that the spirit of the Islands Act is adhered to.

Other Concerns

Other Comments

  • Some believe it is “a cost cutting exercise” disguised as progress.
  • There has been zero consultation, parents, students, staff and wider communities played no part in shaping the consultation.
  • Early engagement is more likely to give a more workable model and gives greater chance of success.
  • It lacks transparency.
  • It could impact on the sustainability of island life.
  • The benefits referenced can be achieved under the current model.