SSBA Annual Report 1997/98

Introduction

This time last year when Labour had just won the General Election we were looking at the prospect of becoming the Scottish School Commission Association. This was because Labour, before the election, had been considering replacing School Boards with School Commissions. Our response to their pre-election consultation on this issue was that the introduction of a new body was unnecessary and that what should be done is the building upon the good work of the many thousands of parents, teachers and co-opted members throughout Scotland who devote their time and efforts to participating in School Boards.

We were greatly encouraged when the new Scottish Office Minister for Education, Mr Brian Wilson MP, addressed our AGM last year as his first formal engagement in that position and put forward his views on the future of School Boards which almost mirrored exactly our aim. Since that time he has come back and addressed our National Conference in April entitled 'Parents, Standards and the Curriculum'. He has shown us tremendous support throughout his first year in office and the Scottish Office continues to support our development of training for School Boards.

During the past year we have all undergone the round of elections for School Board members. There are approximately 3,000 schools in Scotland and after these recent elections over 80% of schools now have School Boards. This is an increase from the 75% figure which remained fairly static for a number of years. All over Scotland, schools, head teachers and local authorities are supporting the valuable work of School Boards and are benefiting from this. If a School Board has the necessary support it can be a tremendous asset to the school. An effective School Board can support and assist the school in its contacts with parents, the local community and the local and national education authorities.

However, there are many instances where the School Board is not working to its full effectiveness and this is because the degree of trust required among all parties has not yet developed fully. It is my experience that the people who become involved in School Boards do so because they want to support and assist the school, but they themselves need support and the information to be able to work effectively.

The number of schools that now have School Boards and the fact that it is increasing demonstrates that the suspicion that once surrounded School Boards over the reasons for their existence is becoming dispelled.

The new Government issued its discussion document 'Parents as Partners - Enhancing the Role of Parents in School Education' and we await to hear the results of the responses to that paper. Further more, it is clear that the Government wants to build upon the solid base which now exists in School Boards and has recognised that parents have a big role to play in education. However, in any changes which are made and in everything we do, we must always be sure that it will be for the benefit of our children and their education.

It is obvious that nothing in education lasts forever and that we cannot afford to stand still. Education will always be looking forward and always be looking for improvement. We must all play our part in these developments and the SSBA looks forward to representing you at the heart of Scottish Education.

David Hutchison President SSBA

1998 Annual Report by David Hutchison - President

1. Grapevine - School Board / Parent Newsletter

Grapevine has been produced four times this year with contributions from a variety of sources. The distribution has remained consistent at 20,000 copies. School Boards continue to tell us that they would like to buy copies for all of their parents but can't afford to do so because of their small budget allowance. The price of Grapevine remains at 15p but if you order more than 500 (and some schools do) the price comes down to 10p per copy. Non-members continue to be charged 40p.

The special edition this year was the Parents as Partners Questionnaire which caused some controversy with the EIS. However, common sense prevailed and hundreds of responses were received both from School Boards and from individuals.

2. School Board Training

Well over 100 courses have been delivered throughout Scotland during the past year. All the Education Authorities have been supportive and we continue to provide training in partnership with the Authorities where they do not provide their own. However, Aberdeenshire Education Department has been unsuccessful in delivering training and following requests by Member Boards in that area, SSBA will be organising our own training in Aberdeenshire in the early part of the new school year.

Bill Fordyce and Peter Kormylo will be joined shortly by Ian Findlay as our main SSBA tutors. Their common sense approach has been well received by participants.

Courses on offer at present include:

Role, Responsibilities and Partnership

Effective Meetings

Effective Communication

School Board Training for Councillors

Appointment of Senior Staff *

School Board Training for Headteachers*

School Board Training for Teacher Members of School Boards*

* These courses are currently subsidised by the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department.

The Scottish Office Education and Industry Department and its Education Minister Brian Wilson MP, have been extremely supportive of SSBA's training courses and we are grateful to them. Subsidised courses are offered to the Education Authorities at £70 per course with a maximum attendance figure of 25. 1 am sure that you will agree that at less than £3 per delegate attending it is extremely good value for money. We are also grateful to the Education Directors for their continued support in supplying accommodation and providing lunch and coffee.

3. Group Membership

Education Authorities are offered group membership of the Association. They pay for all of their Boards to join at the same time thus saving money and administration time not only for themselves but for SSBA. Savingsareapproximately £10 per Board.

The following Councils are currently group members of SSBA:

4. Executive Board Members

Executive Board members have met together on 5 occasions during the past year bringing your concerns to the attention of others and discussing and commenting on the various consultation documents. Elections for new representatives took place recently and the 32 new (and some re-elected) members of the Executive Board will take up office at the Annual General Meeting in May.

5. Membership

Membership continues to rise steadily. Paid membership currently stands at 986 and a further 511 have outstanding invoices. We will stop mailing information to those who haven't paid following the AGM.

6. Problem Solving Service

This new service which was introduced during the past year has proved both successful and time consuming. Enquiries range from interpretation of the legislation, how to be a good Chairman, how to cope with disruptive members of the Board, how to save schools from closure, to the more worrying problem of bullying in schools. This has proved to be a very worthwhile and popular service but it also means that the office staff are having difficulty coping with all the enquiries. However, we have spoken to the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department and have applied for project finding for a one year pilot before we consider an expansion to the service and the employment of a development officer.

7. SSBA Accommodation

The offices in Newall Terrace, Dumfries continue to be given free of charge by Dumfries and Galloway Council. We operate the school year (Dumfries and Galloway) and normal opening hours are 9 - 5. Visitors are always welcome.

8. SSBA Representation On National Bodies

a) Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum
Ann Hill and Donald Urquhart

b) General Teacher Council
David Hutchsion

c) Scottish Initiative on Attendance and Absence
David Hutchison

d) Higher Still
David Hutchison and Ann Hill

e) National Consumer Council Forum on Education
Roger Ward

f) Scottish Office Working Party on Transport - Walking Strategy in Scotland
Ann Hill

g) Scottish Office Working Party on Transport - Walking Strategy at Westminster
Ann Hill

h) Scottish Qualification for Headship - Steering Group
David Hutchison

i) Scottish Schools Ethos Network
David Hutchison

j) Scottish Youth Sports Strategy Group
Donald Urquhart

k) Scottish Road Safety Campaign - Safer Cycling Working Group
Donald Urquhart

9. School Closures

Bill Fordyce, Adviser to SSBA, has had a busy year dealing with enquiries from parents in schools which are facing closure. Advice has been free to member schools this year, but has been expensive in both officer time and travel. However, it has proved successful in most of the cases which have been brought to the attention of the SSBA adviser.

10. Cost Of Higher Education

With the introduction of student fees SSBA will be proceeding with the new information service being offered in partnership with Friends Provident First Call Ltd., which was delayed last year. Not only do the schools get the information for parents, but also the opportunity of making some money for the school. Parents who have attended the pilot evenings for this new service have found them extremely interesting and the schools have found the money sponsored for holding the meetings very useful.

It should be noted that no selling of insurance is allowed at the parents evening. Parents who are interested in any of the services they hear about on the night must contact Friends Provident First Call Ltd., themselves. No names and addresses are released from the schools either to SSBA or to Friends Provident First Call Ltd.

11.Tartan Ribbon Of Dunblane

SSBA led the introduction of the Tartan Ribbon of Dunblane and introduced the parents of Dunblane to the Save the Children Fund. The Tartan Ribbon is now a recognised symbol for children killed and injured throughout the world.

12. Conferences

SSBA /AUDIT UNIT - Parents, Standards and the Curriculum

A very successful series of Conferences was launched in March 1998 with 160 School Board Members from all over Scotland attending. The second mini-conference was held in Shetland in May with two more planned for Aberdeen and Perth early in the new school year.

PUBS (Preventing Underage Boozing Squad)

Pupil members of School Boards in Dumfries and Galloway raised the problems of Underage Drinking with their School Boards and they in turn asked SSBA and the local Police to help launch a campaign to look at the problems associated with drinking underage. A very successful competition scheme with 10 prizes was launched and the campaign culminated in a conference attended by 320 students and adults in November.

A report of the findings and how the campaign was run has been sent to all Directors of Education and Chief Constables. We have offered the services of SSBA in organising similar conferences in all areas. A copy of the report is available from the SSBA office at a price of £5 including postage.

13. Placing Requests

SSBA was pleased to welcome Fred Forrester, Depute General Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland to a meeting of the Executive Board to offer advice on the EIS paper on Placing Requests.

14. Scottish Qualification for Headship

Members of SSBA Executive Board took part in the seminars organised by the Scottish Qualification for Headship Team. Members found these seminars very worthwhile and requested that the 3 seminars which were held in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Paisley should be followed up by another set of seminars to see how progress was being achieved.

15. Refurbished Computers for Schools

SSBA were invited to meet Hans Moot, Project Manager for "FURBIE". The Dutch Government introduced a scheme for using their own discarded computer equipment by having it refurbished and placed in schools in Holland. SSBA has a pilot scheme running in Scotland at the moment and it is hoped that a similar scheme can be introduced in Scotland. Members of the working party include representation from the Scottish Office, R Fraziers Ltd., (the company who supply the Dutch Government), the Education Department, Headteachers and SSBA.

16. Use of Schools as Polling Stations

This item has again been raised by member Boards and we have written to Returning Officers requesting that when another venue is available it should be used rather than closing a school. We have been assured that this already happens in most areas.

17. Sponsorship and Advertising

SSBA Executive Board has agreed that Sponsorship and Advertising should be used when beneficial to both SSBA and the education of children, e.g. sponsorship was received for production of "Safe School Travel", "School Board Training", etc. Advertising has also been introduced into "Grapevine". In order to maintain and develop the services offered by SSBA it was agreed that this was a legitimate way of raising money. Sponsorship and advertising is overseen by the Chief Executive and the Executive Board.

18. Government Consultation Papers

SSBA continues to respond to all consultation papers received from the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department.

19. European Parents Association

Earlier this year SSBA applied to become full members of the European Parents Association and were turned down. However, following a meeting with Mary Killean, President of EPA and her recommendation to the Council of EPA, SSBA has now been offered full membership which we will take up as soon as possible. At present the Scottish Parent Teacher Association (SPTC) represents the parental interest in Scotland. It is hoped that we will be able to work together in Europe.

20. International Conference 2000

Plans are already underway for a major conference in the year 2000 for School Board members from around the world. Our partners in this venture include Strathclyde University and publishers in America. We are lucky to have expertise from Glasgow City Council and the Professional Association of Teachers as well as business links to help us organise what we hope will be the conference of the century.

21. Brian Wilson, MP, Education Minister at the Scottish Office

We are fortunate in the support of Brian Wilson, Minister of Education at the Scottish Office and in the support of his School Board Unit team. Mr Wilson has met with SSBA to hear our views and concerns and meetings with Bob Irvine and his team at the Scottish Office have always proved worthwhile.

On your behalf 1 would like to thank them for their support in the past and look forward to that support continuing.

22. Education Directors and School Board Co-ordinators

Another year has passed and we have continued to have an excellent working relationship with all Directors of Education and their School Board Co-ordinators. We keep in touch and regularly communicate to try and find solutions to your (and our) problems. Thanks must go to the Directors for their support of not only SSBA but their own School Boards. We have also had the pleasure of the company of both Directors and Co-ordinators at Executive Board meetings to offer advice and help when tackling a particular problem.

23. School Board Survey Results

At a meeting with the EIS during the past year, they reported the findings of a recent EIS survey of members. The survey showed that the four main topics of consideration at meetings of School Boards were identified as:

The survey also showed that there is a demand for more information on School Boards and how they operate in different parts of the country and for training on the issues to be raised on Boards.

24 "Tag the Bag"

SSBA continues to work with Top Class Travel and the Confederation of Passenger Transport in our campaign to improve school travel for our children. In May we launched a new strategy for our campaign with "Tag the Bag". This new initiative was introduced by Jim Manson of Top Class Travel who is also adviser to SSBA on school transport issues. Jim is a retired policeman and is also a Director of Top Class Travel and a member of CPT.

"Tag the Bag" is a simple procedure which will be used as part of our "Safe School Trips" campaign. e.g. The driver of the coach taking children to Europe will be presented with a set number of tags for bags. These tags have been specially designed with the help of Customs and Excise and the Drug Initiative Team. When the driver leaves Europe to cross the channel, Customs and Excise will verify the number of 'tagged bags' and sign his documentation to this effect. On his arrival in the UK the coach will be checked and if there are any bags not tagged then the driver will be held responsible for their contents.

You may remember that during this past year coaches were identified coming across the channel with unidentified bags which contained drugs. This is simply of way of protecting our children from this situation.

David Hutchison
President
Scottish School Board Association...............................16 May 1998