Kaisers dish out school awards
Students who worked their way to success have earned a date with Leeds pop giants Kaiser Chiefs.
The award-winning band, who have won a hatful of Brit gongs, will be handing out the prizes this time during a high-profile event at Leeds Town Hall.
The ceremony will celebrate the achievements of 15 and 16-year-old pupils who have juggled school life with attending college and gaining valuable work experience.
Bassist Simon Rix said his band was delighted to support the event, which takes place on Wednesday.
"It's great to see schools and colleges are making the most of people's interests, focusing on what engages people rather than trying a 'best fit' approach," he said.
"I was always good at maths but not so good at English – if you'd made me do English every day I would have given up. You need something to keep you engaged and that's what these courses offer – a chance for everyone to find something that really interests them, that they are good at."
The chart-topping Leeds band will hand out awards including the "Celie Award", set up in memory of Celie Harriet Gallie, a former Joseph Priestley College student who died from meningitis aged 14.
The event, now in its eighth year, will be attended by up to 650 teenagers, plus Leeds' Deputy Lord Mayor, Coun Alan Taylor. It is hosted by a collection of the city's further education colleges called Leeds Further Forward.
The partnership works closely with the city's schools to provide a wide variety of skills-based courses such as catering, construction, hairdressing and animal care.
Project officer Sarah Roberts said: "Mondays might be spent in maths and English at school, and then students could be leading a rock climbing session the next day, or finishing the week working in a top spec engineering workshop or international kitchen.
"For today's students, choosing options is no longer a quandary between arts or languages, history or geography; it is about getting them ready for a career."
Posted: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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