EDUCATION SERVICES COMMITTEE

 

TUESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 1998 - 3.00 pm

 

Present:- Provost Allan, Councillors Robertson (A), Clocherty, Jackson, Roach, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Mitchell, Welch and Campbell, Father T Boyle, Rev D McAdam and Mr I F Milne, Church Representatives, Councillor Robertson (Y), Convener, in the Chair.

 

In attendance:- The Executive Director Education Services, the Executive Director Resource Services, Mr H McNeilly (for the Executive Director Legal, Information and Support Services), the Director of Central Services, the Head of Technical Services and the Chief Consumer Protection and Trading Standards Officer.

 

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Morrison (D) and Hunter.

 

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

 

   953      REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99 - MONITORING REPORT                                                                    953

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 27 August 1998 by the Director of Finance on the position of the Revenue Budget 1998/99 as at 22 July 1998.

NOTED

 

   954      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS                                                          954

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 20 August 1998 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1998/99 be noted;  and

(b)  That the accumulated variations in the contract comprising Phase 4B of the works at Port Glasgow High School which are 10.05% (£15,049) greater than the accepted tender amount be approved in terms of the relevant Financial Regulations.

 

   955      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - FINANCIAL POSITION                                                            955

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 27 August 1998 by the Director of Finance on the financial position of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

 

956        SCOTTISH OFFICE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 1998/99 - MAINTENANCE PROJECTS            956

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 27 August 1998 by the Head of Technical Services advising that the Education Capital Building Programme 1998/99 included additional resources of £537,000 provided by the Scottish Office for information technology and maintenance of school buildings and setting out proposals for works to utilise the £340,000 allocated for building maintenance projects.

DECIDED:

(a)  That it be remitted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders for two projects comprising (i) Phase 1 of the window replacement works at Larkfield and Sacred Heart Primary Schools and (ii) Phase 1 of the re-roofing works at Larkfield Primary School;

(b)  That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers and after consultation with the Convener, Vice-Convener and a Member of the Minority Groups to accept the lowest tenders received for the projects provided that these are no more than 10% greater than the budget estimates;  and

(c)  That in the event of the lowest tender received for Phase 1 of the window replacement works at Larkfield and Sacred Heart Primary Schools being less than the budget amount, authority be granted to the Head of Technical Services in consultation with the Executive Director Education Services to increase the scope of the re-roofing works at Larkfield Primary School subject to the total cost of both contracts being contained within the £340,000 Scottish Office allocation.

 

   957      PORT GLASGOW HIGH SCHOOL, PHASE 4C -                                                                                957

              USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE                                                                                      

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 September 1998 by the Head of Technical Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66 to authorise the issuing of an instruction to the contractor engaged to undertake Phase 4C of the works at Port Glasgow High School for the replacement of a severely damaged concrete column and associated works, at a total estimated cost of £9,000.

NOTED

 

   958      SPRINGFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL, GREENOCK -                                                                          958

              DEMOLITION OF INFANT WING - USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE                        

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 31 August 1998 by the Head of Technical Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66 to authorise the issuing of tender documents for the demolition of the infant wing at Springfield Primary School, Greenock.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66 to authorise the issuing of tender documents for the demolition of the infant wing at Springfield Primary School be noted;  and

(b)  That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers and after consultation with the Convener, Vice-Convener and a Member of the Minority Groups to accept the lowest tender received for the works provided that this is no more than 10% greater than the budget estimate.

 

   959      MILLENNIUM PROJECT:  OUR TOWN'S STORY                                                                             959

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 28 August 1998 by the Director of Education Services advising that an invitation had been received through the Millennium Festival of Scotland for Inverclyde to participate in a Millennium Project during the year 2000 which would give the authority one day in the Millennium Dome to tell the story of its local area by using performing and visual arts and creative technology.

DECIDED:  That it be remitted to the Executive Director Education Services to carry out further research with a view to establishing the scale and cost of participation in the proposed Millennium Project and to report further to the Committee in early course.

 

   960      INVERCLYDE EARLY INTERVENTION PROJECT: "YOUNG LEARNERS PROJECT"                  960

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 September 1998 by the Director of Education Services on the progress made to date in the implementation of Inverclyde's early intervention project also known as the "Young Learners Project" and requesting the Committee to endorse the continuation of the project.

DECIDED:  That the progress made to date in the implementation of Inverclyde's Early Intervention Project be noted and its continuation be endorsed.

 

   961      CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS -                                            961

              RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION                                                                                                            

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 2 September 1998 by the Director of Education Services on the background to the publication of new Scottish Office guidelines for staff development and review and setting out a response to a government paper which proposed and invited comments on a number of measures for the professional development of teachers as the basis of a Framework for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the Teaching Profession in Scotland.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the report be noted;  and

(b)  That the proposed response to the government paper as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved for submission to the Scottish Office.

 

   962      CHILD CARE DEVELOPMENTS 1998/99                                                                                            962

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 10 September 1998 by the Director of Education Services setting out a number of proposals to support the development of a child care strategy for Inverclyde and seeking the Committee's approval for the allocation of the £42,779 funding available in 1998/99 for a number of child care projects which can meet the government's aims for flexible child care provision.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the following projects be funded in 1998/99:-

 

                                                                                                                                   Amount of

        Project                                                        Service Provided                               Funding

 

        Wraparound Provision in Blairmore             Flexible child care for working

        Nursery School                                           parents of 4 year olds                        £20,000

 

        Quarriers Larkfield Family Centre                Weekend care for working

                                                                          parents                                              £  2,500

        *Highholm Primary School                          Out of school care                             £  3,500

 

        *Funhouse - Blairmore Centre                     Out of school care                             £  3,500

 

        *Gamble Children's Centre                          Out of school care                             £  3,700

 

        *Rainbow Family Centre                             Out of school care                             £  4,070

 

        *OSCAR                                                   Out of school care                             £  3,500

                                                                                                                                   £40,770

        *subject to the completion of Business Plans and registration requirements being met;  and

(b)  That the balance of funding of £2,000 be utilised either to supplement the above projects or to fund additional places in new projects.

 

   963      RESOLUTION:  EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS                                                                    963

 

On the motion of the Convener it was agreed unanimously that in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, as amended, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted item of business on the grounds that consideration of the item involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 12 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

 

   964      CLAIMS AGAINST COAL SUPPLIERS                                                                                               964

 

There was submitted a report by the Director of Legal Services seeking authority to accept an offer made by the Department of Trade and Industry in settlement of claims made by Inverclyde Council and other successor Authorities to Strathclyde Regional Council in respect of court actions raised by the Authorities against suppliers of coal to schools which was agreed, all as detailed in the Appendix.