Together’s response to the Education (Scotland) Bill

Date: 8th October 2024
Category: General measures of implementation, Best interests of the child, Education, Leisure and Cultural Activities

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Together has raised concerns in its consultation response to the Scottish Government’s Education Bill. While the Bill aims to address recommendations from key reports such as the OECD Review of the Curriculum for Excellence and Professor Ken Muir’s review, Together believes it falls short of fully upholding the rights of children and young people as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

In the response, Together emphasised the need for the Bill to adopt a rights-based approach to reform, ensuring that children’s education goes beyond a narrow focus on academic achievement. The response highlighted that education should also focus on children’s dignity, talents, and all-inclusive development. It also raised concerns over the lack of clear provisions to ensure meaningful participation by children in decision-making processes, particularly with the proposed Learner Interest Committee, which could potentially exclude children altogether.

Together urges the Scottish Government to consider whether key provisions of the 1980 Act, such as the duty to provide education; school starting age; access to social, cultural and recreational activities; education for children unable to attend school; provision of school meals; administration and finance; and rules on independent schools could be brought within the scope of the UNCRC Act via amendments to the Education (Scotland) Bill.

• Read the full response here