Third Sector Internships Scotland is celebrating its first anniversary, and reports a successful first year of making connections between university students with fresh ideas and third sector organisations looking to develop new projects.  

The programme is an innovative partnership between Scottish Universities and the third sector.  TSIS is a four-year programme developed by Queen Margaret University, The Open University in Scotland and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, and is funded by the Scottish Funding Council.

The Engaging with Scottish Local Authorities (ESLA) initiative has its origins in the move by the Scottish Government, since 2007, to work on a more outcome focussed basis.  To support this, the ESLA programme was launched to support develop evidence-informed policy and practice in local government in Scotland, as key agents in the delivery or services and achievment of government policy outcomes.

Gerry White’s stimulus paper has given us a useful introduction to the work of the Digital Education Research Network (DERN) in highlighting and disseminating research into the use of digital technologies and media in schools, training, higher education and lifelong learning.  He concentrates most on formal education settings, but he emphasises that ‘the distinction between formal and informal learning has become artificial in a networked world’, and that the there is a ‘convergence of formal and informal learning’ in the face of high levels of use of the internet for educational purpo

Last week the Scottish Government published its proposals for the development of education and training for the over 16s. The proposals in the document are for consultation until mid-December. The proposals are published prior to the introduction of new legislation where that is required.

Here is a timely and thought provoking piece from PASCAL Associate John Field.  Noting that despite the controversial law and order response of the Thatcher government to the riots of 1981, there were nevertheless some important educational initiatives taken in the following months.  John Field explores some ideas for further iniatives which could be pursued in response to the situation in England now,  which range over reviews of the funding for learning,  a fresh look at young men's education, and the potential for ad