Fife Council draw up three-year education improvement plan

Colin Davidson said there is a "massive" issue with pupils' mental health and a "considerable" number who are not attending at all but claimed a new three-year plan was “brave and ambitious” in its attempt to improve the lives of children and their families.

Approved last Thursday by the cabinet committee, it has four key priorities: health and wellbeing; attendance and engagement; achievement and positive destinations. 

Cllr Davidson said: “The challenge with young people’s mental health is massive – our biggest challenge is getting these young people back to school and getting them engaged.

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“Education staff have never hidden from the challenges that lie ahead. Attendance and engagement are probably our biggest challenge that we have as a council in terms of our commitment to young people.

“The number of kids not going to school is considerable and a whole generation is going to be lost.

There are 'massive' mental health challenges facing Fife pupils while there has also been rising concern this year about violent incidents. (Image: Newsquest)

"I commend this report and plan. It deserves praise for being a brave and ambitious plan but it will also be put under a high degree of scrutiny going forward.” 

The education improvement priorities aim to: address the significant challenges related to mental and physical health, as well as substance use; improve the approach to supporting families; better meet the needs of Fife’s most vulnerable children; and address the lack of equity and equality across the range of disadvantages. 

Earlier this year there was also concern about a rise in violent incidents in Fife schools.

“In developing the plan we have sought to identify the most significant challenges and barriers to life opportunities faced by children, young people and families in Fife,” a committee report said. 

“Many of these challenges reflect a need to focus on core aspects of service delivery – to help sustain and further strengthen recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"They also reflect the importance of ensuring that these also reflect a significant improvement in equity and equality.”

Dunfermline councillor Cara Hilton, the spokesperson for education, said: “We’ve got so much still to do to drive up performance and impact, but I also know from being out and about in schools that there is a huge amount of brilliant work underway in our schools and you can see the positive impact it’s having on our young people’s skills, confidence and resilience. 

“We have a lot more to do and this is a challenging plan, but I think it really will help us drive forward the improvements we need to make.”