Education secretary meets staff and pupils at school
Deputy First Minister and cabinet secretary for education and skills, John Swinney, visited Blairgowrie High School recently.
The Perthshire North MSP, who was appointed education secretary in May, has visited schools around the country in the last four months, talking to pupils, staff and parents.
Mr Swinney was piped into the Beeches Road school by two pupils, Robbie Smith and AJ MacGregor, before meeting with head teacher Bev Leslie.
He was given a tour of the school by head boy Lewis Kinney and senior prefect Louise Ferry where he met principal teacher of art and design, Sam Kennedy, and one of her classes; business teacher Jacqueline Walker, and Jude Gillies.
Mr Swinney also met with a group of selected pupils from the school, and teachers from various departments, to discuss the positives and negatives facing Blairgowrie High School and the Scottish education system.
Issues raised included final exams, phasing out National Assessments over the course of the next few years, the choices that senior pupils have in their transition from school life to work – including work experience opportunities – and the support students get in and around school for applying to university, college or work.
Mr Swinney also met with members of the school’s senior leadership team.
After his visit, head teacher Mrs Leslie commented: “Mr Swinney is taking the opportunity to visit schools to inform his decision making on the future of education in Scotland.
“He listened to the views of some staff and pupils on his recently announced measures that should help to reduce teacher workload pressures and some of the assessment burden on young people.
“Whilst here, he also took the opportunity to listen to young people regarding how we help prepare them for the world of work.
“I was delighted to be able to tell him of our many employability projects and about the many local businesses that support our work experience placements.”