Education

People across Scotland are being encouraged to learn something new or get back into education as The Open University is offering hundreds of free courses online.

More than 30,000 young Scots would learn to play pipes and drums if they had the chance but only 6000 are learning so far, according to a national charity.

Blind and partially sighted school children are gaining fewer qualifications than their classmates, prompting calls from a sight loss charity for action to close a “shocking and unnecessary gap in attainment”.

The number of teachers working in Scotland’s schools has risen to its highest level in the last decade.

Kintore Nursery has been praised by inspectors for the effective systems in place to safeguard children and the staff for being kind and caring.

Primary schools yet to receive a visit from the NSPCC’s free ‘Speak out. Stay safe.’ programme are being urged to sign-up as soon as possible.

As Scottish Book Trust marks its 21st anniversary, the independent national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has launched a new fundraising campaign to provide crucial support to vulnerable families and help fight the effects of living in poverty through reading and books.

School children across the North-east of Scotland are being challenged by Scottish Water to come up with calendar designs based on a water efficiency theme.

Aberdeenshire councillors have agreed a number of key workstreams to progress with the devolution of school budgets.

Children with special needs are increasingly being “forced” out of mainstream education despite new legal protections, a disability charity has warned.

The primary school catchment areas in Inverurie are being reviewed and Aberdeenshire Council is seeking feedback from parents and the wider community.

It won’t be just the pupils that will be learning when the new session begins, Aberdeenshire’s latest intake of probationer teachers officially start their careers in the classroom soon.

Scottish Book Trust – the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing – is seeking applications for the Bookbug Hero Award and the Learning Professional Award 2020.