Friday, February 16, 2007

COSLA Education Meeting

Later this morning went to the periodic COSLA (The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)
'Education Executive' meeting at their offices in Haymarket.

Agenda and papers all here.

Fairly prompt meeting, with the one note of disappointment being the report on 'English as an Additional Language (EAL)' provision in schools. It's a service under particular pressure here in Edinburgh - for entirely positive reasons I hasten to add - and the 'time-lag' between numbers being recorded and money coming to the service is causing some difficulty. I sense this has always been more manageable historically, due to much lower numbers being involved overall, but the large increases in Eastern European migration to the city has added a whole new dimension to the language and teaching needs that now have to be met.

I do have to add, that every single head-teacher I've spoken to concerning this, is nothing but positive about the added dimension that the actual children are bringing to their schools ... without exception its also always commented that their personal application to the work set before them is absolutely first class.

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