I got a bee in my exam, mum!
Pupils study beekeeping and it could end up on curriculum
FOR pupils in Miss Johnston’s class, lessons really are a buzz.
Students at Annan Academy in Dumfriesshire are to be the first in Scotland to gain National 5 level qualifications in beekeeping.
A pilot project is being led by teacher Lorraine Johnston, 45, who runs a ‘bee club’ during the school lunchtimes. Pupils learn about swarming, sting removal and collecting honey. They even have their own hive in nearby Dumfries.
So while exam season sees students across the country being quizzed on traditional subjects, six of the Annan pupils are due to sit their Junior Beekeeping exams with the Scottish Beekeepers Association this summer. But Miss Johnston has higher ambithought tions – she is working with the Scottish Qualifications Authority and hopes to teach beekeeping as a classroom subject.
The course would lead to a level 5 National Progression Award in Beekeeping. The vocational qualification is of equivalent difficulty to National 5 exams.
Miss Johnston started the project three years ago, after a classroom discussion. The religious, moral and philosophical studies teacher said: ‘We were talking about the design argument for the existence of God – about purpose, order and design. I used bees as an example and they kept asking loads of questions. So I I’d start a bee club at lunchtime. We were just doing fun things such as making candles and scattering wildflower seeds. Then the pupils started giving talks at primary schools. I’ve got bees personally and the South of Scotland Beekeepers Association donated a hive.’
Defending its academic value, she said: ‘There’s loads of biology. They have been learning about the different types of bees and parts of bees. I think it’s interdisciplinary. It covers lots of different areas. It can lead to other things – environmental studies, biology – there are all sorts of links to different practices.’
Emily Oaks, 13, is keen to sign up. She said: ‘I want to be a vet and to study at the Royal Dick School in Edinburgh so I need to be able to stand out from the rest.’
‘The children kept asking loads of questions ’