Jamie Fairbairn is dominie o Scots, Geography an Travel an Tourism. He is heid o the Humanities Faculty at Banff Academy, far bairns learn Scots, Geography, Historie, Modren Studies, Religious an Moral Education, Politics, Traivel an Tourism, Environmental Science an Social Studies.
Originally fae Forgandenny, by Brig ae Earn (hence his love o Willie Soutar poetry), he flitted tae the North East in 1994, efter a wheen o years in Sooth Americae, an nivver luikit back.
He stairted his Scots work at scweel introducing Scots weather word lessons in Geography classes, and saw first haan the spark it created amon the bairns, especially in creative wirk. Efter, fan the SQA Scots Language Award wis introduced in 2014, he lowpit at the chunce. Seeven gallus sowels opted fer the staan alane class, an the nummers biggit up ilka year tae current nummers o high twinties. He ettles tae study Scots through music, landscapes, culture an traditions, community, politics, history, literature, food an tourism, an encourages seniors tae haive in an dee the Open University Scots Language an Culture course in parallel wi the SQA Award.
The gemme chynger cam fan Banff Academy offered Scots as pairt o the mandatory language choice tae S3 bairns, an noo he finds himself teachin 300 minutes o Scots a wikk, with ither dominies deein twa hunner mair. He has tikken upon hissel tae help train ither teachers tae deliver Scots an is pilotin a spilt new Open Uni training course wi a collaborative burachie o dominies.
He is convinced that bairns benefit fae exploring Scots by heezin up self-regaird, literacy an kennin their ain culture an their confident place in the Wirld. “Eence the bairns ken ye respect them fer fa they are, they dee better in aathin.”
He has co-authored a research buik chaipter on the impacts o Scots on schuilbairns, an scrievit articles aboot Scots in research reports an magazines.He bides wi his wife, three bairns an dug in Fitehills, by Banff, an enjoys folk music, photography, buiks an a guid dram.