Partnerships

SCHOLAR

Click here to download the Scholar PDF

1. It is free. You can access SCHOLAR in school, at home, in your local library or anywhere else without any cost. (Please remember there may, however, be a cost for using the internet at home, so check with your parents/guardians).

2. It is specifically designed for student use.
   
3. The materials are user friendly, kept up-to-date and include:

   Notes and summaries
   Quizzes
   Interactivities, animations and simulations
   End of topic tests for every topic in a unit
   End of unit tests for every unit, usually set at NAB standard
   Revision material at Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher levels

4. Extra help is provided for the parts of the courses students perform poorly in when they sit SQA exams. (The “extra help” icon which looks like a lifebelt and usually has “extra help” beside it locates these areas in the notes.)
   
5. It is terrific back-up to help you understand the work covered in class, and help prepare you for your SQA exams.
   
6. You have instant feed back on all the quizzes and tests you try. The quizzes have hints to help you and are marked on screen, while the end of topic and end of unit tests are marked and stored in your own personal assessment record which you can view as soon as you finish the test.
   
7. There are on-line tutors to help you. Go into the Discussion Boards to ask your questions.
   
8. If you miss work (eg through illness), you can use SCHOLAR to help you catch up.
   
9. With SCHOLAR you are picking up new, and very useful, skills in using the internet and an e-learning environment. This is great preparation for going to college or university.
   
10. You can use SCHOLAR anywhere in the world.

     

 

FRIENDS OF MANGU

We have developed strong links with Mangu Junior Secondary School in Ghana. Mangu School is in the town of Wa in the Upper West Region. There is a significant north-south divide in terms of wealth and there are high levels of unemployment. Around 80% of the community live below the poverty line and average daily earnings for labourers are only about 65p.
The school was originally founded by Methodist missionaries as recently as 1992 but the buildings were constructed from mud brick and only lasted 2 years. After this, the community attempted to rebuild but ran out of money and the incomplete construction collapsed.
In 2006, classes had to meet in the open under the shade of trees and, while this might sound idyllic to us, in the wet season, pupils and staff are crammed into very dilapidated buildings which the primary school vacated.

At that time, the school population was around 350 but attendance was poor for a variety of social reasons. There were very few resources – only 3 blackboards, a few tables and chairs and it seems astonishing that pupils had to bring their own desks to school each day!
Head teacher, Mark Naga, and the community were desperate to rebuild the school to create six classrooms, a staff room and an office. Ultimately they wanted to establish a school library and a computer room.
It is difficult for us to imagine the huge hurdles which have to be overcome in order to achieve even a minimal level of education in such conditions.

Mr Smart, Principal Teacher of Biology, spent two years working in the community and on his return to Scotland was committed to raising funds to support their project for a new school. 'Friends of Mangu' was established and Earlston High school supports the charity. To date we have raised over £11,000.


Our link with Ghana is an exciting venture for both schools and provides many valuable and lasting educational and cultural bonds for both communities. Earlston High School now has its own Ghana Day on the 5th March. Students have also followed Mr Smart's lead and have enjoyed time in Mangu, supporting the community as part of Gap year experiences.

Here are some photographs from Ghana Day 2010, when we celebrate our link with Mangu.

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Here are some photographs from Ghana Day 2010, when we celebrate our link with Mangu.

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