Scottish Borders Local Association

Bhatia to meet angry parents over future of computer studies

Published Date: 21 May 2009
By Andrew Keddie

PRESSURE is mounting on Scottish Borders Council to address funding shortages which have seen four of the region's nine secondary schools abandon computer studies as a curriculum subject. This week, Councillor Catriona Bhatia, SBC’s executive member for education, has agreed to meet the Parent Partnership at Selkirk High School after that body, in a letter to TheSouthern, claims its worst fears about the introduction of Transforming Children’s Services (TCS), which demands a reduction in principal teaching posts as a priority, have come to pass.

It follows the revelation in TheSouthern earlier this month that Selkirk, where there is a falling school roll, was the latest secondary to shed a computer studies principal teacher and, along with Peebles, Jedburgh and Eyemouth, would not offer the subject in years five and six, while Standard Grade qualifications would, from next year, no longer be available.

A spokesperson for the council cited a range of factors, including a reduction in uptake, for some individual schools removing the subject.

Last week, Councillor Sandy Aitchison (Borders Party), who is a college lecturer, met Mrs Bhatia to raise his concerns.

“There is no doubt this is a result of TCS and the decision by headmasters is taken from the necessity to cut costs which reduces choice for pupils,” said Mr Aitchison after that meeting.

“While not all computer training will be removed, it is true that the use of computers within other subjects is hardly taking computer education to a very high level.

“From my extensive experience of further education, I know computers are something which students with all abilities can use to their advantage. Even those with learning difficulties become creative with computers if given the time and opportunity to use them.

“These are difficult times for everybody and funding is going to get even tighter, but we need to educate to the highest standard to give our pupils the tools to compete, not only with students from this country but increasingly from around the world. Eradicating computer science from our schools is not the way forward.”

TheSouthern has since been contacted by a computer studies teacher who, as a council employee, does not wish to be named.

“Computing is a core part of the technology outcomes and experiences document published as guidance on the Scottish Government’s Curriculum for Excellence,” said the teacher.

“Scotland and the UK as a whole suffers from a serious shortage of programmers and computer scientists.

“The blame for the abondoment of computer studies within the Borders can be laid fairly and squarely on the doorstep of the TCS programme.”

Mrs Bhatia said the savings from TCS this year were the equivalent of one full-time depute head post per high school.

“However,” she added, “head teachers asked for flexibility in applying this saving rather than having it dictated centrally. Thus, they are assessing demand for subjects and deciding what to offer pupils.

“It should be noted that while some subjects, such as computing and Latin, have declined over the past three years in terms of demand, vocational courses – for example in construction, hairdressing and land studies – have been increased. Clearly head teachers have to balance these additional demands with academic subject choice.”

Mrs Bhatia admitted school budgets were also affected by rising or diminishing pupil numbers.

She said: “A falling school roll will equate to fewer full-time equivalent teachers and the heads again have to decide which teaching posts to remove. This can have a disproportionate impact on small secondaries.”

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