Education Committee - 16/05/2005

At a MEETING of the EDUCATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 16th May 2005.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor KEENAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 18th April 2005 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I MINUTE OF MEETING OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE SUB-COMMITTEE OF 26TH APRIL 2005

The minute of the above meeting (Appendix I) was submitted for information.

II HM INSPECTORATE OF EDUCATION - GROVE ACADEMY INSPECTION

There was submitted and noted the HM Inspectorate report on Grove Academy.

III HM INSPECTORATE OF EDUCATION - BRAEVIEW ACADEMY FOLLOW THROUGH INSPECTION

There was submitted and noted the HM Inspectorate follow through report on Braeview Academy.

IV HM INSPECTORATE OF EDUCATION - ROSEBANK PRIMARY SCHOOL INSPECTION

There was submitted and noted the HM Inspectorate report on Rosebank Primary School.

V TENDERS RECEIVED

There was submitted Report No 307-2005 by the City Architectural Services Officer detailing tenders received and requesting a decision thereon:-

(i) LONGHAUGH NURSERY SCHOOL - REPLACEMENT SINK

The Committee agreed that the work be carried out under the Property Maintenance and Small Works Partnership with Dundee Contract Services to replace a sink at Longhaugh Nursery School for 1,200 together with an allowance of 180.00 for professional services making a total expenditure of 1,380.00.

(ii) LONGHAUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL - REPLACEMENT OF FLOOR CHANNEL IN KITCHEN

The Committee agreed that the work be carried out under the Property Maintenance and Small Works Partnership with Dundee Contract Services for replacement floor channel in the kitchen at Longhaugh Primary School for 4,000.00 together with an allowance of 600.00 for professional services making a total expenditure of 4,600.00.

(iii) SS PETER AND PAUL PRIMARY SCHOOL - KITCHEN IMPROVEMENTS

The Committee agreed that the work be carried out under the Property Maintenance and Small Works Partnership with Dundee Contract Services for kitchen improvements at SS Peter and Paul Primary School for 24,500.00 together with allowances of 434.00 for Building Warrant, 345.00 for Planning Supervisor and 3,675.00 for professional services making a total expenditure of 28,954.00.

(iv) BALDRAGON ACADEMY - REPLACEMENT EXTERNAL DOORS

The Committee agreed that the work be carried out under the Property Maintenance and Small Works Partnership with Dundee Contract Services for external door replacement at Baldragon Academy for 9,000.00 together with an allowance of 1,350.00 for professional services making a total expenditure of 10,350.00.

(v) BALDRAGON ACADEMY - COMMUNITY FACILITIES

The Committee agreed to accept an offer from Muirfield (Contracts) Limited, Dundee for community facilities at Baldragon Academy for 470,000.00 together with the undernoted allowances:-

The Committee noted that Muirfield (Contracts) Limited, Dundee had listed the undernoted sub-contractors:-

VI SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE CONSULTATION - IMPROVING PARENTS INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOLS - DUNDEE CITY COUNCILRESPONSE

There was submitted Report No 311-2005 by the Director of Education seeking approval to forward a response on behalf of Dundee City Council to the Scottish Executive's consultation on Improving Parents' Involvement in Schools.

The Committee agreed approval of the report and response to the Scottish Executive's Consultation on improving Parent's Involvement in Schools subject to alterations in Questions 14 and 15 noted below to reflect views expressed by Mr Baillie:-

"Question 14: Do you consider these functions appropriate to parent forums? Would you suggest removing or adding any, or making some obligatory and others optional?

The wording of functions 1(a) and 1(b) are capable of being construed as providing an executive role for parent forums in the governance of the school. That would be inappropriate and care should be taken in expressing the functions that the intention is to provide for parental involvement but not in governance issues.

It would be helpful in that regard for certain functions and powers to be explicitly excluded from the functions of the proposed new parent forums, including:

7                                             Consideration of discipline issues relating to individual pupils

7                                             All personnel matters affecting school staff (including powers of employing and/or dismissing staff)

7                                             The regulation of the school curriculum

7                                             The setting of educational policies (e.g. on assessment)

Question 15: The Bill has been drafted to allow the parent forum to find out and report the views of parents in the school on any matters which are of interest or concern to them. Do you agree with this open-ended provision or would you suggest defining the areas of interest more restrictively?

If the parent forum is to truly reflect the views of parents then they must be attentive to the views of the whole school community. It should be up to each forum to decide on the proportionality of their response to these views.

However, caution should be exercise where these views might reflect concerns regarding the day-to-day operation of a school or performance of members of staff, where these issues should more appropriately be raised directly with the Head Teacher.

It is important to ensure that parent forums (and forum members) do not stray into areas of school activity which should remain the preserve of the employer. In this regard reference should be made to the functions which should explicitly be excluded from parent forums (see response to question 14 above)."

VII YOUTH MUSIC INITIATIVE

There was submitted Report No 318-2005 by the Director of Education highlighting the success and development of the Youth Music Initiative in Dundee and to advise the Committee of a proposed partnership between the Education Department and Dundee College.

The Committee agreed to instruct the Director of Education to formally agree the partnership development with Dundee College, taking forward the further development of the Youth Music Initiative programme.

VIII EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STANDARDS AND QUALITY REPORT 2003-2004

There was submitted Report No 217-2005 by the Director of Education bringing to the attention of the Committee the Standards and Quality Report on the Education Department for 2003-2004.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) approve the report;

(ii) instruct the Director of Education to distribute copies of the report to staff and key stakeholders in the Education Department; and

(iii) require the Director of Education to provide further Standards and Quality Reports on an annual basis.

IX RACE EQUALITY POLICY

There was submitted Report No 317-2005 by the Director of Education seeking approval for the Education Department's race equality Policy for Educational Establishments.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note and approve the Education Department Race Equality Policy; and

(ii) instruct the Director of Education to monitor the implementation of the policy and report on progress periodically.

KEVIN KEENAN, Convener

APPENDIX I