Education Committee - 24/03/2014

At a MEETING of the EDUCATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 24th March, 2014.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Stewart HUNTER, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 24th February, 2014 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

II EL SISTEMA

The Committee agreed to hear a deputation in support of the above. After the deputation had spoken they were thanked for their attendance and withdrew to the public benches.

Thereafter, the Committee considered the item which had been placed on the agenda at the request of Councillor Keenan who asked the Committee to endorse the concept of El Sistema in Dundee.

There was also submitted Report No 167-2014 by the Chief Executive providing the Committee with an update on the contact that there had been between the City Council and Sistema Scotland, the organisation responsible for the Big Noise Sistema programme. In addition, the report also provided a broad understanding of how culture was being used by the Education Department to raise the confidence, ambition and aspirations of children within some of the Council's deprived areas.

The Committee agreed to note that the request of the Council was for support in kind only. It was essential that El Sistema be delivered through additional resources and not from the Councils core budgets.

The Committee agreed to working with El Sistema Scotland and Optimistic Sound to establish an operational scheme suitable for Dundee.

The Committee also agreed to working with El Sistema Scotland and Optimistic Sound to maximise the charitable, non-governmental and private sector investment required for this project and, if required, the Council be prepared to make a joint approach to the Scottish Government for financial assistance.

Finally, the Committee agreed that a report would be brought back to the Council for final approval.

III CHILDRENS WELLBEING RESEARCH PROJECT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN135-2014 where reference was made to Article II of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 28th October, 2013, wherein it was reported that Dundee City Council had been invited by the Scottish Government to take part in a research project to enhance the safety and development of children and young people by gathering and analysing comprehensive child wellbeing data.

The Children's Wellbeing Research was based on interviews with a sample of local families across the authority with children aged 0-8 years and online surveys of children and young people ages 9‑17 years.

The original timescale for the collection of data and the online survey was March, 2014, however, this had been revisited and both parts of the survey would take place in September, 2014. This was to take account of the fact that there were a significant number of events taking place at school level during the period from April to June, 2014 including examinations, transition events and the introduction of the new timetable in secondary schools.

The Committee noted the position.

IV EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 1980 - APPEAL COMMITTEE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN139-2014 informing the Committee that it had been necessary to seek nominations for an additional Chairperson to Chair the Appeal Committee.

The Head of Democratic and Legal Services advised that the undernoted person was recommended for appointment with immediate effect for the remainder of the lifetime of the present Council:-

Mrs Charlotte MacCrimmon.

The Committee approved the above.

Stewart HUNTER, Convener.