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Paisley Daily Express Column - 14 December 2011

HAVE A VERY MERRY FAIRTRADE CHRISTMAS 

         

Its good news that there’s been a local drive here in Renfrewshire to encourage more people to make their Christmas a Fairtrade one.

 

The Fairtrade Steering Group here in Renfrewshire is rightfully very proud of our community’s track record for supporting the Fairtrade cause and it is hoped that this trend will continue throughout the festive period.

 

The Fairtrade movement is designed to help to support independent producers in developing countries by making sure they get a fair deal for their products.

 

You can tell is an item meets the Fairtrade standards by checking for the approved Fairtrade logo on it.  This logo means that the product has been assessed to meet all of the Fairtrade criteria.

 

It is important to remember at this time of year those people across the world who are in a less fortunate position than ourselves.  Making your Christmas a Fairtrade one is a good way of doing that.

 

The good news is that there is a huge range of Fairtrade products available here in Renfrewshire ranging from bags and jewellery to food and wine.

Paisley even has a dedicated Fairtrade shop, Rainbow Turtle on Gauze Street.  If you can’t find the Fairtrade product you are looking for there the helpful staff will be happy to advise you on other Fairtrade stockists in the town.

 

CHRISTMAS ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR

Still looking for last minute Christmas gifts?

If you’re like me and you’ve got lots still to do, then I would encourage you to head along to the Christmas Arts and Crafts fair at Paisley Museum.

The fair will be running from now until Christmas Eve and it is free to enter.

The Museum will be hosting a number of different arts and crafts outlets to provide a range of different gift options for local people.

The fair is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11am – 4pm, Thursdays from 6pm – 9pm and Sunday from 2pm – 5pm.

 

FOURTH YEAR FALL IN TEACHER NUMBERS.

Last week saw the publication of a new report. And it was bad news for Scotland’s pupils. The report – published by the Scottish Government – showed the number of teachers in Scotland’s classrooms fell last year, and class sizes rose.

Local authorities across Scotland employed 51,286 teachers, a figure down for the fourth year running, from just over 55,000 when the SNP took power in 2007.

The average class size for pupils in the three earliest years in primary school – which the SNP Government previously pledged to cut to 18 – went up to 22.5 this year.

So there we have it. A quiet crisis in our classrooms confirmed by the latest numbers from the Government itself. Scotland’s pupils deserve better.