500 people in Scotland were asked by school locker manufacturer Action Storage for their insight on where schools could be improved most.
In the wake of Britain’s record-breaking performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics, 41% of Scots believe new health and fitness programmes could mark a step in the right direction for our schools.
For 37% of Scots, empowering teachers is the answer to improving our education system – and 50% of voters aged 35-44 are convinced this is the case.
New schools of thought
Many Scots put stock in students’ progress – calling for simpler exams (27%) and more frequent updates for parents (18%) – while other respondents recommended investing more in new equipment (36%) and anti-theft measures (9%).
The British government came under fire, with 44% of women – and 60% of respondents aged 45-54 – pushing for further funding.
This call for increased government funding comes shortly after Jeremy Corbyn’s outline for a national education service, designed to offer learning opportunities at every stage of life and close the growing productivity gap.
32% of respondents said schools could do more to motivate children, while 67% of 35-44 year olds believe this is an area for significant improvement.
Education through empowerment
According to the BBC, this year’s Pride Glasgow festival included a drive for schools to educate children on LGBTI issues – and 28% of the Scottish public agree that tackling discrimination and bullying should be a key focus going forward.
40% of 18-24 year olds said anti-bullying initiatives should be priority number one, making this the greatest concern among Generation Y.
27% of all participants thought schools should rethink the way they deal with bad behaviour, as did a substantial 60% of 18-24 year olds.
One resounding outcome of the survey saw Scots push for more power to be placed in the hands of both teachers and their pupils.
27% of people surveyed thought reducing head teachers’ workloads could offer a solution – freeing them up to invest in school development, rather than spending time on day-to-day administrative duties.
Extracurricular activity
The survey also revealed an interest in more sustainable schools, as 18% of Scots expressed the importance of an eco-friendly approach.
Some respondents offered their own two cents on where schools could be most improved – with alternative answers including reducing class sizes and treating children as individuals.
Topline results:
Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers to the following question:
In which of the following areas do you think schools could be improved most?
Implementing health and fitness programmes: 40.9%
Empowering teachers: 36.9%
Investing in new equipment: 36.4%
Increased government funding: 36.2%
Motivating children: 31.8%
Simplifying the exam process: 27.1%
Tackling bullying: 27.7%
Dealing with bad behaviour: 27.4%
Freeing up head teachers to invest in school development: 27.3%
Adopting an environmentally friendly approach: 18.2%
Updating parents on their children’s progress: 18.0%
Preventing theft on school premises: 9.4%
Other: 9.1%