our learning: Creative voices in Education
In 2024, learners from across Scotland worked with Creative Catalysts to explore their experiences of learning. The learners represented groups who sometimes find that education doesn't meet their needs. They used rights and creativity to share their stories, ideas and experiences in the hope of creating change in education systems so that everyone is supported to realise their potential.
The e-Sgoil team at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, in partnership with Education Scotland, was successful in an application to the Corra Foundation’s UNCRC Innovation Fund for a year-long project demonstrating good children’s rights-based practice. This e-zine shares the learning from the project and is intended to raise awareness of the challenges faced by many children and young people, and what they need in order to be really listened to, understood and supported.
The project wanted to learn from children and young people most at risk of not having their rights met through their education. Five types of learning settings were selected to take part, these were: care experienced, Gaelic Medium Education; interrupted learners; asylum seekers and refugees, and those at a secure and residential unit.
e-Sgoil put out an open call inviting applications from creative practitioners for the role of ‘Creative Catalyst’ to work with learners from these settings. Applicants were invited to submit a two minute video to demonstrate how they would actively listen to the needs and thoughts of young learners, identify challenges and find creative solutions, acting as a catalyst for change and new thinking within the education system. Learners from each setting were involved in the selection of the Creative Catalyst they most wanted to work with.
Practitioners and partners met online for monthly conversations around the challenges and key learning points they met along the way. Learning was particularly rich around trust, relationship building and engaging with learners in ways that helped them feel seen, heard and valued.
This e-zine tells the stories from the five settings and we hope it provides inspiration, confidence and hope for all of Scotland’s young learners.
Malcy Duff, Comic representation of interaction with a pupil from Rossie School