Liberton High School – Green MSP on school meals – The Gazette to be digitised – RSNO 2014:15 Season – Scottish Seabird Centre has a sculpture
A secondary school pupil died yesterday in a tragic incident at Liberton High School. The school has now been closed till after the Easter holidays.
The local councillors told The Edinburgh Reporter:-“As the local councillors for the Liberton area we offer our deepest sympathy to those who have been affected by this tragic event. We are all keen to seek answers to the many questions that will come in the following days and weeks but for now our first thoughts are with the the bereaved parents, family and friends.”
Cllrs Norma Austin Hart, Bill Cook, Nick Cook and Keith Robson.
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Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and education spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, is welcoming the Scottish Government’s pledge of additional funding to support the roll-out of free school meals for P1-3.
Earlier this year FoI requests by Ms Johnstone revealed many school dining facilities are already at capacity, and many schools have no kitchens in which to prepare fresh food.
Alison Johnstone MSP said:-“Local authorities have quite rightly pressed the Scottish Government to fully fund the roll out of free school meals, and I look forward to the details of how this additional money will be spent. Providing a universal benefit for our primary pupils makes plenty of sense but my research supports concerns I’ve long had about the capacity and quality of school facilities.
“As well as better facilities I hope the additional funding announced today ensures training and support for the 10,000 people directly employed in schools catering. These staff are often undervalued and will be central to the successful roll-out. We must ensure they have the resources they need.”
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The digital transformation of the UK’s oldest official public record has made it easier than ever before for public sector organisations to place mandatory notices and make significant savings.
For almost 350 years, The London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes have charted the history of the UK – allowing local and national bodies to place official notices on public record and fulfil statutory obligations. From bankrupt businesses and individuals to deceased estates and local traffic notices, The Gazette of today contains a wealth of information, used by a wide variety of public bodies. And from 2 April, finding and accessing this information is set to get easier, with the launch of TheGazette.co.uk
According to a report by UK Authority in October 2013, 91% of UK councils believe that digital technology can deliver savings, but the main barrier to progress was existing IT technology – a barrier that TheGazette.co.uk has tackled, as notices can be placed regardless of the system used.
The new website has been designed with user need in mind. It reduces the time and effort it takes to place statutory notices, allowing public authorities to fulfil legal obligations, while demonstrating value for money to stakeholders. The culmination of two years of development and testing, the technology platform sitting behind the new website has been specifically designed to seamlessly integrate with any existing technology and systems.
Janine Eves, Gazette Business and Operations Director at TSO, is excited by the digital transformation. She comments: “TheGazette.co.uk aligns technology opportunity with delivering business benefits in the public sector, allowing increased productivity and efficiency, improved customer service and new service design. Being able to place a notice quickly, easily and often, free of charge, demonstrates a more effective route for different parts of government and different organisations to fulfil their official publishing responsibilities and achieve value for money.”
Carol Tullo, Director of Information Policy and Services at The National Archives, agrees: “The new enhanced Gazette site is an important resource in today’s data rich world. It allows the millions of notices and official content of The Gazette to be captured, discovered and shared by millions of people across the globe, shaping the service for the benefit of all.”
For more information about how The Gazette can help your organisation to fulfil its statutory obligations, register at www.TheGazette.co.uk
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The RSNO just announced their programme for next year. This is a lovely video with Peter Oundjian the Music Director and Manus Carey the RSNO’s Executive Producer in conversation with a twist!
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Kenny Hunter’s latest sculpture has been unveiled at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick. Best known for his Citizen Firefighter sculpture outside Glasgow’s Central Station, Hunter was commissioned to create The Watcher by the Scottish Seabird Centre following an open competition for artists to create innovative and stunning new works of art to act as gateways to the Seabird Centre.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
