Supporting our learners to be the best version of themselves - Joan Griffiths
Last week, as well as marking back to school for many after the Easter break, the annual exam timetable for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses got underway.
Many young people are also in the final stage of completing other qualifications including SQA Awards and Skills for Work courses that are assessed throughout the academic year.
Understandably, there will be many feeling pressure to do well having spent the Easter holiday revising course content and topics they’ve been taught during this year.
For many learners, the exam season can be a highly anxious time and while a certain amount of stress can be healthy, excessive anxiety around exams can have a significant impact on learners’ mental health and well-being. I’m pleased that a range of support measures are on offer in our secondary schools to support young people who may be experiencing exam stress. This includes our school counselling service, support from teachers and school staff as well as clear signposting to external groups and organisations that can offer mental health support.
Supporting our children and young people with any mental ill-health they may be experiencing is a priority all year round. I was pleased to see just last week that Firrhill High School have been shortlisted at the national TES School Awards in the category of ‘pupil mental health initiative of the year’ for their work in this area.
Of course formal examinations are not the route for everyone. The reality is that each of the young people in our city are unique individuals and there has always, and will continue to be, young people who struggle with the concept of school and exams, and who know that by the time they reach S4 that they are better suited to a more practical and hands-on approach to learning.
At several of our secondary schools we are piloting agile pathways with the aim for young people to experience a varied, dynamic, and engaging school day, where they see the relevance of their learning in relation to real-world career opportunities. As part of this we offer a range of subjects including stonemasonry, roofing, construction, metal work, silversmithing, and beauty. Learners are able to stay on at school and work towards a qualification. This is a fantastic option for young people, and a positive for the community and the city as a whole. Through establishing clear routes into industry, we can address a pressing need for skilled workers while offering learners in school a genuine career pathway.
There will of course be young people who find that a mix of practical and academic learning suits them best. In our schools we are focused on meeting the needs of children and young people on an individual basis and will always take a rounded view to make sure we do our best to support our learners to be the best version of themselves that they can be, whatever their intended destination.
Cllr Joan Griffiths, Convener for Education, Children and Families, City of Edinburgh Council