Pupils' magazines have come a long way. Fiona MacLeod dips into the best
GENERATIONS of youngsters have kept up the tradition of the school magazine – but what was once simply a vehicle for poetry and class photos can now help in getting a job.
Industry professionals are keeping a close eye on the publications create
d in Scotland's secondaries with a view to recruiting future talent.
From opinion pieces on whether suspension is a "laughable" punishment, to debates on religious assemblies and interpretation of news events through the eyes of the next generation, school pupils are rivalling the professionals for ideas and creativity.
But it isn't just the content that is impressing magazine editors.
As computer software and technology has become more affordable it is also more accessible, despite tight school budgets, meaning pupils have greater opportunity to see their creative visions realised in print.
Many of today's school magazines are as colourful as those on newsagents' shelves, with layouts a national glossy title would be proud of.
But Kathy Crawford, business manager of the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) Scotland, says it is not just about appearances but content as well.
"Some are still made of black and white photocopies but that doesn't matter if the content is great," she says.
Last week at a black tie awards dinner in Glasgow, pupils from Coatbridge High School in North Lanarkshire were presented with the second annual prize for Scottish school magazine of the year.
The winners were presented at the annual awards ceremony of PPA Scotland alongside the people behind country's top periodicals, who were also receiving awards.
This is the second year of the awards. Last year's winner, and the first to hold the title, was a team from Boroughmuir High in Edinburgh.
PPA Scotland set up the competition as a way to encourage young people to consider a career in magazines before they reached university age. It has proved so popular, with 65 secondary schools across Scotland entering, that the PPA is planning to roll out the competition to the rest of the UK.
"We know some of the winners have decided to go on to college and study journalism or design," Ms Crawford says.
"Entering this competition while they are at secondary school allows us to open their eyes to an industry a lot of people don't know anything about. We can help those people to understand a little bit more."
However, the lessons learnt are not just of benefit to the industry. Ms Crawford says working on a school magazine presents teenagers with the opportunity to learn skills useful in all walks of life.
"It involves working as team, working with other departments, thinking about production and costs, and presenting," she explains. "They may not go into the magazine industry, although we would like them to, but everything they learn is a skill they can use when they leave school.
"They will have to go for job interviews which need presenting skills, for example, and they will have to go out and interact with the community."
In a bid to recognise the work and enthusiasm of school staff who help the magazine teams, a new category is being added next year for the most inspirational teacher. The idea, says Ms Crawford, is to recognise the great extra-curricular efforts put in by teachers, usually from the English department.
"The magazines have to be pupil-led so all the original thought and creative decisions must be from the pupils," she notes. "But they are overseen by teachers, who are often very committed, and we hope this award will gain them recognition from headteachers."
Guidance issued to teachers on entries to the competition reflect the seriousness with which the organisers take entries. Copyright law, defamation and other legal issues must all be adhered to and any breaches result in disqualification.
However, Kathy Crawford sees the magazines' great diversity as a strength.
"There is certainly more dispute between the judges for the school magazine award than there is for any other category of our awards," she says.
Through "Determined to Succeed", its strategy for enterprise in education, the Scottish Government has agreed to remain a major sponsor of the awards until 2011.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The PPA Scottish School Magazine Awards is helping our young people improve their teamwork and communication skills while offering valuable insights into the realities of the working world.
"It offers pupils an opportunity to showcase their writing, editing and production skills, while highlighting success in their schools."
The headteacher of this year's winning school says its magazine has benefited the whole school.
"We've had a magazine for four years and it changed dramatically last year, thanks to enthusiasm of staff," says Mike Rawlinson, of Coatbridge High.
"We moved into a new school and feel the magazine has a very strong role.
"We went through a merger with another secondary and the magazine played a key role in making that change seamless, by addressing some of the fears and concerns and reviewing what happened after the merger."
He adds: "We were very keen that the magazine wasn't the usual stories, poetry and pen pictures, we wanted it to give the young people a voice and effect change.
"We really want to keep it going. We have a magazine that the kids want to read, that challenges them and tackles issues relevant to the modern day secondary pupil and community."
The full article contains 912 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
