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LITERARY

The TES Scotland /Saltire prize for educational publishing is currently under review.

Panel  Results
TESS award

Saltire award is music to our judge's ears.

Gillian Macdonald

The 2006 TES Scotland /Saltire prize for educational publishing was awarded to an unusual contender, a revision package for music. But UK publishers came in for criticism from the judges.
Aesthetic areas of the curriculum are often written about by teachers, who tend to produce text books for the more academic subjects. So it was a unanimous decision by the judging panel of teachers and academics to give the award yesterday to How to Pass Standard Grade Music, published by Hodder Gibson.
The revision text, written by Joe McGowan and accompanied by a CD of music excepts, was described as a valuable resource that could be used Independently of teachers It providec a lot of material and a lively interactive experience. Without it, teachers would probably have had to work hard to get permissions to use excerpts on the CD.
"Music is a subject that is not flush with books, but here is one that is taking it all Ine way to being used independently and has audio material to bring it to life," the judges said. The whole How to Pass.... series by Hodder Gibson came in for praise, as the judging panel commended the publisher for its commitment these uncertain' curriculum times, it's good to see continuing support for Standard_grade," they said.
The series, covering Higher Intermediate and Standard grade exams, would be useful not only to pupils studying alone at home, but also to young teachers and student teachers, or those who had not taught the subject for a few years, Tom Bryce, professor of education at Strathclyde University, and chair of the judging panel, said.
How to Pass Higher Business Management for example, could be used by student teachers, who are frequently, mature students, to help them tune in to more than just the requirements of the syllabus. Professor Bryce added.
Another Hodder Gibson text the Close Reading 11-14:Support Edition, was commended by the panel for responding to teachers' requests for-more help in this area. The new book is an adaptation of the original Close Reading 11-14 book that was a runner-up in last year's TESS/Saltire awards. It has been adapted for pupils who might find it too challenging.
UK publishers, however were criticised by the judges for failing to produce materials, for the Scottish curriculum. While some of last year's UK entries from publishers such: as Nelson, were praised for targeting the Scottish market, this year's entries showed little evidence of it.
The Big Cat series, submitted by Collins, provided very good non-fiction texts for primary schools that teachers would happily pick up and use but the books made no mention of the 5-14 curriculumm Scotland - no nod to the Scottish system," as the panel put it.
It said the series provided a rich range of resources for non-fiction reading in primary. "The books contained stunmng photography, helpful guided reading for teachers at the back, and quite a few things aimed specifically at boys," the judges said. "The books even had some Scottish authors," they added pointedly. "So why did the publisher not go that extra mile to align it with the Scottish curriculum?"
The prize which is sponsored jointly, by both organisations. It will be awarded to what is judged in open competition to be the best example of published non-fiction work which enhances the teaching and learning of an aspect or aspects of the curriculum of Scottish schools.

To be eligible for the competition, a work has to be a book or a package, the bulk of which comprises written words. Any non-written element such as videotape or computer software, must make up no more than 25% of the package as a whole.

Although the work must be relevant to Scottish school children aged from 3-18 and related directly to the curriculum in Scottish schools, it does not necessarily have to be the product of a Scottish author or authors or of a Scottish publisher.


TESS logo Small Saltire


  Panel Members

Tom Bryce (Convener)
Gillian MacDonald
Alice Dunphy
Jim McGonigle
Alistair McMillan
Christine Ford

 

 

TESS Educational Publications Award

 
Year Winner Entry Award Commended
1998 Hodder & Stoughton Scotland and the Second World War £500 & Certificate Hodder & Stoughton: Standard Grade Physics
Nelson: Nelson Standard Grade Biology
1999 Hodder & Stoughton Society and You £500 & Certificate Nelson: Higher Mathematics & Statistics for Higher Maths
2000 Orion & Dolphin Paperbacks The Story of Scotland £500 & Certificate Nelson: Intermediate 1 and 2 Mathematics
Scottish Enterprise: Get into Enterprise
2001 Hodder & Stoughton Social Issues in the UK and International Issue £500 & Certificate Hodder & Stoughton: New Higher Chemistry
Struan Publishers: Lest We Forget.
2002 Hodder & Stoughton Turnstones 1: An English course for Scotland   Barrington Stoke - The Blessed and The Damned by Sara Sheridan.
Canongate - Crème de la Crème, The best of CSYS Creative Writing 1991 - 2001
2004 Hodder Gibson Young Citizen's Passport Scotland by Tony Thorpe, Designed by Mike Gibas £500 & Certificate Hodder Gibson - Close Reading 11-14 by Mary Firth and Andrew G Ralston, Designed by Linda King
Learning and Teaching Scotland - Scotland in the 16th Century/ The Jacobites/ Victorian Scotland by Margaret McBryde and Marion G Cuthbertson, Designed by Lindsey Duffus and Marion McCluskey
2006 Hodder Gibson How to Pass Standard Grade Music £Certificate