Stars of Education sought for national acclaim

Local people across Clackmannanshire are being called upon to help find the county's brightest education stars who are worthy of recognition at the Scottish Education Awards 2012.
The awards, which celebrate hard work and innovation in Scottish classrooms, were launched and opened for nominations this week by Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning & Skills.
Dr Allan, said: "The Scottish Education Awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate the hard work, innovation and excellence of standards of schools, teachers, headteachers and school communities across the country.
"I would encourage people to take some time to nominate and reward the local schools and education professionals that make learning a rich experience, nurturing and motivating our children and young people to increase their understanding and realise their ambitions."

The awards are open to all publicly funded schools, including secondary, primary, nursery and special schools. There are also categories to recognise and reward the dedication of teachers, headteachers and support staff across Scotland.

This year there are a number of new categories including the Active Nation Award, Parents are Partners in Learning Award and Gaelic Language and Culture in Learning Award.

Councillor George Matchett, Inclusion portfolio holder at Clackmannanshire Council, commented: "It is an area of particular pride that education services across Clackmannanshire continue to be recognised for some very innovative and creative ways of achieving improvements in pupil engagement, motivation and attitude which result in a more enjoyable and productive classroom environment.

"I know that people across Clackmannanshire will get behind this campaign and I have every confidence that there will be no shortage of nominations for our schools and individual members of staff to achieve further recognition in the Scottish Education Awards 2012."

Do you know a local school that shines within the community or an exemplary teacher who motivates and nurtures pupils to become confident learners? If so, this is the opportunity to ensure that deserving schools and education stars from Clackmannanshire are recognised.

For further information and to make a nomination visit
Scottish Education Awards or monitor the progress of the awards by visiting http://www.engageforeducation.org/ or following @engagefored on twitter.

Nominations close on Friday 2 March 2012.