Christian Pesch

Scottish Fair 2003

Christian Pesch

Some basic facts:

• The Scottish school system is integrated in the state, as the teachers are fully paid by it

• Scotland has a full comprehensive school system that was tri-divided up to the 60s, as in Germany

• Catholic schools are always under state control

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Attendance and Absence

“One of the major issues currently affecting education in Scotland is the level of absenteeism in schools and the subsequent affect it has on pupil learning and educational attainment. Across the country the level of absence recorded in 1999/00 varied quite significantly from virtually zero in some primary schools to around 100 half days absence per pupil in the worst affected secondary schools. Recently there has been some indication that the levels of absence are beginning to fall. After a high in the school year 1995/96 of 46 half days absence per secondary pupil and 22 half days absence per primary pupils, the most recent figures are 41 and 19 half days respectively.“

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

Christian Pesch

Development of number of schools

• In 1872, the Education Act made parents responsible for the education of their children aged between 5 and 13

• Around 1910, 200 new schools were founded

• Today there are approximately 2900 public (i.e. state) schools

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Development of number of pupils from 1970-2010

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

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Private vs. public schools

• Most of the Scottish pupils (about 90 %) attend public schools; private schools are the exception

• Independent (= private) schools are basically located in Aberdeen City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Kinros; in several other parts there are no private schools at all

• In 1972/73 the school-leaving age was increased by two years

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Teacher numbers

• Over the last 10 years there has been a change in the ratio of male to female teachers

• The average age of teachers has increased

• Photo: Ms. Jane Booker welcomes excursion students!

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Teacher numbers by school type (publicly funded), 1970-1999

                                                                        

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

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Age distribution of teachers in Secondary Schools (publicly funded), 1992 and 1998

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

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Class sizes • Maximum for primary school is 33 pupils

for single stage and 25 pupils for composite stage classes

• In 1997 nearly 24 % of children were taught in classes of over 30 pupils, in 1999 just under 14 %

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Size of single stage P1-P3 classes (publicly funded), 1999

Class size 1999

Classes Pupils Number Percentag

e Number Percentag

e 0-15 143 2.5 1,678 1.2 16-20 681 12.0 12,654 8.8 21-25 1,928 34.0 44,693 31.3 26-30 2,309 40.7 64,368 45.0 31-33 572 10.1 18,353 12.8 33+ 34 0.6 1,244 0.9 All 5,667 100.0 142,990 100.0

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

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Computers at school

• Though nearly every school in Scotland is supposed to be linked, there are still lots of pupils and even teachers that do not have an e-mail address at school

• The schools we visited do not have a website in the internet!

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School Type

Primary Secondary

Special

Pupil: Computer ratio 28 9 7

For schools with internet e-mail facilities:

Percentage of teachers with an e-mail address

8 11 6

Percentage of pupils with an e-mail address

0 7 2

Access to computer and e-mail addresses in schools (publicly funded: Sept 1999)

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

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Leaving school

• The minimal age to leave school is 16; pupils who do their A-level at 17 or 18 can go to a college or university

• Since the late 80s pupils have decided to stay at school longer, achieving higher attainment levels in order to continue education after school

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Leaver desinations from publicly funded schools

(June 1993, 1996 and 2000)

Source:www.scotland.gov.com

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Leaving school

“The destinations of pupils who left school in the years 1992-93 to 1999-00 are shown in the previous chart. Over this period the percentages of school leavers entering full-time further or higher education have increased. While the percentage of leavers taking up training has significantly decreased over the period, it should be noted that school leavers entering employment may also be participating in training through the Skillseekers programme.”

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A concrete example: St. Columba‘s and Woodmill High Schools

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The location

St. Columba‘s High School

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School visit• St. Columba‘s High School consists of 950 pupils• French is foreign language no. 1, German only no.

2, but it has still a good reputation at school (nearly 50 % are learning it)

• But: after next year German is not being taught for the first four years, pupils will have to continue with French

• Basically pupils do not want to learn a foreign language problem of motivation

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Because of increasing social and other problems, teachers are becoming prepared for new tasks in addition to teaching.

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Quotations from the interviews with pupils

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“I didn‘t want to learn German, but I had no choice“

“It is not very

interesting to learn a

foreign language and

it‘s very hard.“

“I don‘t know anything about Germany.“

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“We hate our school

uniforms!“

“If we don‘t wear our school uniforms we are sent home!“

„ I want to leave and go

to Miami.“

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“I don‘t like Scotland.“

„I cannot expect

to go abroad.“

„Scotland is cool.“

“The Scottish

accent is the best

in the world.“