Scottish Technicians Advisory Group March 15, 2007
Posted by Brian in : SSERC, STAG, Uncategorized , add a comment
On Wednesday I jumped on the train and headed over to SSERC for the quarterly meeting of the Scottish Technicians Advisory Group.
As usual there was a lot on the agenda to get through all of which was tackled with the usual aplomb.
During the meeting Brian Richmond (CPD project manager) gave an update on the Scottish Executive funded report into CPD and related activities for technical support staff. Brian informed us that the project is now coming to a close after two years of intense activity and it will be up to the Scottish executive whether to grant further funding after the publication of report.
Brian, Phil Muggins (CPD project officer) and the rest of their team have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of such an important initiative. Members of the advisory group have also been involved and its due to everyones hard work that there are now two fully SQA rated courses :-
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Safe use of fixed workshop machinery - rated level 5 with 2 credit points.
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Safety in microbiology for schools - rated level 6 with 3 credit points.
A further course in Electrical safety and portable appliance testing has been submitted and is awaiting credit rating.
Other courses are still in the process of being developed :-
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Chemical handling course - has been trialled and is being prepared for submission to the SQA.
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Management of health and safety (for senior and aspiring technicians) - material has been developed and is about to be trialled prior to submission to the SQA.
Further courses at the early development stage include:-
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Chemistry for non chemists.
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Biology for non biologists.
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Physics for non physicists.
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Basic electronic repairs.
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Basic ICT troubleshooting.
A total of 476 training days have been provided and Technicians have attended from all over Scotland from Shetland in the North, Dumfries & Galloway in the south and all parts in between.
In Brian’s words “the closure of the project should be seen as the end of a beginning - much work remains to be done”.
All involved in this project deserve a hearty pat on the back not only for their hard work but for raising expectations throughout technical support staff in Scotland.
It would be a crying shame if no further funding was forthcoming to continue such a worthwhile and aspirational project
Safety January 17, 2007
Posted by Brian in : STAG, Uncategorized, safety , 2commentsAt the last scottish technicians adivisory group meeting it was brought to my attention that CLEAPSS , the advisory service for English local authorities, have recommended that rubber bunsen tubing should be phased out and replaced with neoprene tubing. I also learned that most technical support services recommend the use of goggles in classrooms rather than safety glasses that we currently use in Musselburgh Grammar.
The “red” rubber tubing” in common use these days is pro
ne to leakage around the connection with the bunsen, and in my experience becomes perished through time and also on exposure to certain chemicals. Neoprene tubing is less perishable and not as susceptible to chemical attack.
Although safety glasses provide the necessary protection needed within a science classroom there have been incidences throughout the country where injury would have been avoided if the pupil had been wearing goggles instead of safety glasses.
The glasses may be more comfortable to wear but they often do not afford 100% protection due to the differing sizes and shapes of pupils faces.
I mentioned these points to the head of chemistry and the head of science when asked if I had any ideas how extra money could be used in the science department. After further consultation with the senior technician and the depute head teacher it looks as though there may be money available to equip the thirteen labs with goggles for the pupils and neoprene tubing for the bunsens.
Although there was little danger of an accident to staff or pupils it makes sense to reduce the risk even more by taking these sensible measures if funds are available.
I would be interested to hear what science departments do in other schools and local authorities. If you want to comment just click on the comments button below or you can email me by clicking on the button on the top right hand side of the blog.
elcouncil, safety, neoprene, science technician, cleapps
New Year Thoughts January 9, 2007
Posted by Brian in : Exc.el BLogs, GLOW, SSERC, STAG, Uncategorized , 4commentsHaving a bit of time to myself over the past couple of weeks I had time to sit down and think about the coming year. Here are some of the things I thought about.
I am looking forward to my role as a GLOW mentor. I should be attending my mentor training around at the end of May with the project itself hopefully being rolled out towards the end of the year.
In the first quarter of the year the full report carried out by SSERC and STAG into CPD provision for technical support staff will be ready to be published. It was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and will be extremely important in helping to map out the future of the technician service in Scotland. My hope is that local government education departments take full stock of what it contains and act on its recommendations.
As a member of the Scottish Technicians Advisory Group, and with their support, my aim is to try and improve accessibility to CPD for technical support staff within East Lothian and to assist and advise the council should it wish to implement the recommendations contained within the Scottish Executive report.
At the national technicians conference in Crieff last year one of the points discussed was that technicians should work to raise the awareness of the important job we do in the learning and teaching process. Having received many positive, and the occasional negative comment about my blog I think I have succeeded in doing so however little that it may be.
I am still very much new to the blogging game and not too sure how much I have done to promote the work of support staff. I have had many emails from people far and wide with words of encouragement so I will continue to blog throughout 2007 with my aims being to further raise the profile of support staff , air issues that may have no other forum for discussion and generally try and inform people of the work that is entailed in being a science technician in a large school within a relatively small local authority. 
By last and no means least single status / Job evaluation is still to be finalised in East Lothian. We should be hearing more around mid February. It would be great if the unions and the council came to mutual agreement. Things around the country have got a bit messy in some councils and the thought of going through what other employees and local authorities have gone through doesn’t bear thinking about, especially as the exercise has dragged on for around six years here.
Scottish Technicians Advisory Group December 14, 2006
Posted by Brian in : CPD, SSERC, STAG, Uncategorized , 1 comment so far
Yesterday I headed over to SSERC for the quarterly meeting of the Scottish Technicians Advisory Group.
The group consists of representatives from local authorities across Scotland and meets four times a year.
A lot of good work is done by the advisory group, one of the most important initiatives that is currently being given consideration is the report that has been commissioned by the Scottish Executive into CPD and related activities for school technical support staff.
It stems from the findings of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee who published a report called “Why science education matters” . 
Within the report there are many references to technical support staff e.g
- Technical support in schools must be strengthened so that pupils can have the experience and stimulation of “hands on” practical work
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All secondary schools should have at least one dedicated science technician. Such members of staff should be seen as an integral part of the science provision, having access to appropriate CPD and career enhancement opportunities.
The interim report has been published by SSERC and it is hoped that the full report will be made available in early part of the new year.
It will be a document that has the potential to shape the future of the technicians service in Scotland.
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