This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Financial aid for school discipline
16/12/2002
An additional £30 million is to be made available from the Scottish Budget over the next three years - £10 million per year - to support local authorities in implementing the recommendations of the Discipline Task Group, it was announced today.
Education Minister Cathy Jamieson said the long-term funding framework would promote positive behaviour and help create the right environment for learning in every school in Scotland.
Speaking at St Conval's Primary School in Glasgow, Ms Jamieson said:
"Positive behaviour in school is essential in raising attainment and achievement. Indiscipline puts the hard work of pupils and teachers at risk.
"I want to ensure that local authorities and schools have the right support in implementing discipline policies which support learning and teaching.
"Much has already been achieved since our Joint Action Plan to take forward the Discipline Task Group recommendations was published this time last year. We have made resources available for home-school link workers and auxiliary staff, funded work on pupil support bases, and rolled out the New Community School approach across the country.
"The commitment to funding will allow local authorities and schools to plan ahead. They will also have flexibility in using this new funding. It will be for individual authorities and individual headteachers to decide how best to use it to meet local needs.
"Good discipline is essential for every pupil and for the ethos of every school. We must ensure positive behaviour is encouraged and that there are effective sanctions to deal with indiscipline."
This is a table showing the allocations by Education Authorities of £10m made available this year and represents an approximate indication of what education authorities may receive in future years:
Aberdeen City £351,813
Aberdeenshire £472,123
Angus £217,196
Argyll & Bute £179,486
Clackmannanshire £97,672
Dumfries & Galloway £299,630
Dundee City £274,578
East Ayrshire £244,756
East Dunbartonshire £243,117
East Lothian £172,614
East Renfrewshire £202,367
Edinburgh City £692,680
Eilean Siar £69,999
Falkirk £276,610
Fife £686,650
Glasgow City £1,126,768
Highland £457,374
Inverclyde £173,722
Midlothian £167,330
Moray £174,088
North Ayrshire £282,560
North Lanarkshire £675,985
Orkney £49,814
Perth & Kinross £245,325
Renfrewshire £358,397
Scottish Borders £206,770
Shetland £60,845
South Ayrshire £223,154
South Lanarkshire £614,264
Stirling £169,953
West Dunbartonshire £204,421
West Lothian £327,941
The Discipline Task Group (DTG) report 'Better Behaviour - Better Learning' was published on June 19, 2001. It contained 36 recommendations for schools, local authorities, and the Executive.
A Joint Action Plan from the Executive, COSLA, Association of Directors of Education and Association of Directors of Social Work was launched by Cathy Jamieson on December 12, 2001.
This included £10m to kick-start the expansion of pupil support bases, and £3m to support authorities in reviewing their discipline policies.
Ms Jamieson announced a further £10m funding on August 26, 2002 to help take forward two key DTG recommendations - providing additional auxillary staff to supervise pupils between lessons and during lunch breaks; and providing home-school links workers to ease the transition back to education for those truanting or excluded from school.
Local authorities will have flexibility in allocating the resources announced today for DTG implementation.
St Conval's Primary School is in the Pollokshaws area of Glasgow. A recent HMIE report on the school identified: teachers' high expectations of pupils' behaviour and achievement, the positive school ethos and high quality of pastoral care; and the commitment of staff and quality of pupils' learning.