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At Monday evening's my colleague Councillor Laurie Bidwell put an item on the agenda to try and ensure that there is action taken on pupil absence rates. Recent official statistics show that Dundee has the worst absence rate in Scotland. The council's Education Department quibble with the way that the statistics are recorded. I am sure that they have a point but I would be more inclined to support them if they could point me in the direction of a good report (and there are many of them) whose findings they rejected as a result of not agreeing with the methodology.
I think that the Education Department in Dundee do a good job and that our teachers, associated professionals and support staff in schools do a good job often in some very difficult circumstances. I also take my role as a councillor seriously and believe that one of my main duties is to ensure that we do get it right for every child in Dundee.
We were told on Monday evening that it was wrong to compare Dundee and East Renfrewshire which has the lowest absence rates. Clearly there are great social and economic differences between Dundee and East Renfrewshire but should we just give up?
I think that children in Dundee face barriers to their education every day most of which are to do with poverty. The City Council does not have all the levers to deal with those barriers, neither would an independent Scotland and nor does the United Kingdom. I cannot accept that this means we should do nothing.
We have a duty to the children and young people of Dundee to ensure that they get the best start in life and that they can reach their full potential, education is crucial in that work. Every day missed from school is an opportunity missed. Obviously some absences cannot be helped due to ill-health. But we can and should do more to deal with other absences. We owe the young people of Dundee that.
I was very disappointed that genuine efforts to improve the prospects of children and young people in Dundee were met with such opposition.
I think that the Education Department in Dundee do a good job and that our teachers, associated professionals and support staff in schools do a good job often in some very difficult circumstances. I also take my role as a councillor seriously and believe that one of my main duties is to ensure that we do get it right for every child in Dundee.
We were told on Monday evening that it was wrong to compare Dundee and East Renfrewshire which has the lowest absence rates. Clearly there are great social and economic differences between Dundee and East Renfrewshire but should we just give up?
I think that children in Dundee face barriers to their education every day most of which are to do with poverty. The City Council does not have all the levers to deal with those barriers, neither would an independent Scotland and nor does the United Kingdom. I cannot accept that this means we should do nothing.
We have a duty to the children and young people of Dundee to ensure that they get the best start in life and that they can reach their full potential, education is crucial in that work. Every day missed from school is an opportunity missed. Obviously some absences cannot be helped due to ill-health. But we can and should do more to deal with other absences. We owe the young people of Dundee that.
I was very disappointed that genuine efforts to improve the prospects of children and young people in Dundee were met with such opposition.
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