Review of Strategies to Address Gender Inequalities in Scottish ...

parents and what they wanted. Overall they aimed to be effective, regardless of whetherthe parent was male or female.The team ran staff development sessions for pre-5 staff and contributed to the preserviceinitial teacher programmes at the local university, as well as providing advice andguidance on request. They had noticed that it tended to be the same, interested peoplewho came to the inservice sessions they ran.There are plans for further projects, including one that focuses on the role of men asfathers and which will culminate in a photographic exhibition of the fathers they areworking with in a range of ‘father’ contexts. Another idea is to give men the opportunityto network and meet others in similar situations and to share with them the research onthe impact of fathers on children’s lives, e.g. on achievement and delinquency.4.4 Progression and continuityIn the initial survey of local authorities in Scotland, one authority indicated that, while ithad a policy on gender-related matters in place, this could be mediated in different waysby the schools themselves. It indicated that good practice could be observed in a clusterof schools working together to address this matter, and accordingly all 3 schools werevisited as part of the case study process. Meetings were held with management, staff,pupils and parents and teaching was observed in all 3 institutions.i. Background of schools involvedThe 3 schools, all serving rural communities, consist of a secondary and two associatedprimary schools. The area is designated as one of high socio-economic deprivation withattendant difficulties of long-term chronic structural unemployment and social exclusion.ii. Initial impetus and fundingThe issue being addressed was that of perceived under-achievement amongst boys,particularly in the area of reading. Further, there was seen to be a need to involve andengage parents and the community as much as possible with the future of the pupils’education in the area. Consequently, a number of actions had been taken by the schools,working together with the support of the local authority. Firstly, a consultant had beenengaged to provide an inservice day which was attended by staff from all 3 schools.Secondly, funding had been provided to support initiatives in which fathers and sonsworked and learned together. A constant theme amongst respondents in this clustergroup was that the dislocation of the male population was considerable: the majority ofjobs available were for women, and often of a part-time nature. This had resulted in asituation where women were often the breadwinners and where the role of men inbringing up children was greater, but where families were also often dysfunctional andrelationships strained. In this context, the authority and schools saw a role in providingpositive leadership for families through a scheme entitled MATCH – Men And TheirChildren.The specific policy shared by the 3 schools in the cluster was entitled ‘Getting the Bestout of Boys’. It was clear that the focus was on the raising of horizons, giving childrenhope and therefore addressing a perception of hopelessness in the local culture. Therewere shared objectives: raising attainment (specifically of boys, but also of girls); socialjustice; and the promotion of sound learning through raised teacher awareness of learningstyles. These objectives were clearly understood by staff from all 3 schools.iii.The implementation of the strategyWithin the 2 primary schools, management responsibility was invested in the respectivehead teachers and their deputies, with a clear sense that there was a positive engagementwith the policy and a determination to drive it onwards. Both primary schools______________________________________________________________________________________Review of Strategies to 31 University of StrathclydeAddress Gender Inequalitiesand University of Glasgow