Education & Lifelong Learning Committee

Tuesday 22 October 2002 at 3.00 pm

Present:  Provost Roach, Councillors Calvert, Campbell, McCabe, Mitchell, Morrison (D), O’Rourke, Robertson (A), Father T Boyle and Rev J Miller, Church Representatives, Mrs P Purdie, Parent Representative, and Mr D Anderson, Teacher Representative.

Chair:  Councillor Robertson (A) presided. 

In attendance:  Director of Education Services, Director of Finance, Mr H McNeilly (for Director of Legal & Support Services) and Head of Property Services.

Apologies:  Councillors Jackson and Robertson (Y).

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

813

Revenue Budget 2002/03 - Period 6

813

There was submitted a report dated 1 October 2002 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 2002/03 as at Period 6 (18 September 2002).  (Provost Roach and Councillor Morrison (D) entered the meeting during consideration of this item of business).

Noted

814

Capital Programme 2002/03 to 2003/04 - Progress

814

There was submitted a report by the Director of Education Services on the progress of the Capital Programme 2002/03 to 2003/04.

Noted

815

Discipline Task Group Recommendations:  Resources for 2002/03

815

There was submitted a report by the Director of Education Services (1) advising that the Scottish Executive had made a grant of £173,722 to Inverclyde Council in the current financial year to support the implementation of the recommendations of the Discipline Task Group and (2) seeking permission for the Director of Education Services to allocate the funding in accordance with the recommendations contained in the report.

Decided:

(1)      that the additional resources being provided by the Scottish Executive to allow implementation of certain recommendations contained within the Discipline Task Group report "Better Behaviour Better Learning" be noted;

(2)      that authority be granted to the Director of Education Services to utilise these resources in a flexible manner within the requirements of the grant;  and

(3)      that a further report on progress be submitted to the Committee in due course.

816

Implementation of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

816

There was submitted a report dated 11 October 2002 by the Director of Education Services (1) on the work which required to be undertaken by Education Services to comply with the provisions of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and (2) providing a timescale within which the work would be carried out.

Decided:

(1)      that the contents of the report be noted;

(2)      that approval be given to the proposed implementation plan detailed in the report;  and

(3)      that the Director of Education Services provide ethnic monitoring information to the Committee on an annual basis.

817

National Grid for Learning:  Cabling Procurement for Primary Schools

817

There was submitted a report by the Director of Education Services seeking approval for the appointment of contractors to extend the cabling infrastructure for the National Grid for Learning Programme within the remaining 20 primary/special schools in Inverclyde.

Decided:  that approval be given to appoint contractors to complete the work in each of the 20 primary/special schools provided that the costs do not exceed the available funding detailed in the report.

818

New Opportunities Fund Childcare Programme - Additional Resources

818

There was submitted a report dated 3 October 2002 by the Director of Education Services advising that Inverclyde Council had been allocated a grant of £175,000 from the New Opportunities Fund Childcare Programme for the provision of childcare projects over a two year period.

Decided:

(1)      that the allocation of funding of £175,000 from the New Opportunities Childcare Programme over a two year period be noted;

(2)      that the action to be taken by Inverclyde Childcare Partnership with a view to identifying eligible projects be noted;  and

(3)      that it be noted that the Director of Education Services would submit a progress report to a future meeting of the Committee.

819

Kelly Street Children's Centre - Extension:  Use of Emergency Powers Procedure

819

There was submitted a report dated October 2002 by the Director of Education Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure under Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the issuing of tenders for extension works at the Kelly Street Children's Centre to provide additional toilet accommodation.

Noted

820

Special Educational Needs:  Policy and Strategy

820

There was submitted a report by the Director of Education Services seeking approval for the adoption and publication of the Special Educational Needs Policy and Strategy framework set out in the Appendix to the report.

Decided:  that approval be given to the adoption and publication of the Special Educational Needs Policy and Strategy framework set out in the Appendix to the report.

821

Standards and Quality in Pre-School Education 1997 - 2001:  HMIE Report

821

There was submitted a report by the Director of Education Services (1) advising of the key findings of the report by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Education on the quality of nursery education in Scotland, (2) providing a summary of the outcome of local inspections during the period 1997 - 2001 across all early years sectors and (3) detailing the action being taken to promote continuous improvements in early years services.

Decided:

(1)      that the findings of the HMIE Report on Standards and Quality in Pre-school Education be noted;  and

(2)      that the action being taken by the Director of Education Services to promote continuous improvements within early years services be noted.

822

Education Service Improvement Plan 2002/2003

822

There was submitted a report by the Director of Education Services advising of publication of the Education Service Improvement Plan 2002/2003.

During the course of discussion, Councillor Campbell suggested a minor amendment to Section 5.7 of the report (Aim 2) by addition of the word "each" after "20 computers" and it was agreed that this be incorporated in the document.

Decided:  that the publication of the Education Service Improvement Plan 2002/2003 be noted.