Ruth Maguire MSP has welcomed the Scottish Government’s approach to education reform, with children, young people, families and teachers being invited to join a National Discussion on education.
In an update to Parliament on reform plans, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville appealed for fresh, innovative ideas to help to deliver change and drive improvement.
Ms Somerville said she wants to encourage the most inclusive ever discussion on education in Scotland, with learners playing a key part in decision-making.
The National Discussion will inform wide-ranging plans, including the creation of three new education bodies and a review of qualifications and assessment.
Following the statement update, Ruth Maguire MSP asked the Cabinet Secretary for Education how the Scottish Government will ensure children and young people will be centred in the process of education reform.
Ruth Maguire MSP asked:
“The reformed system of education that the cabinet secretary outlines needs to serve learners. Children and young people must be centred in the process of reform; how will the Scottish Government ensure that that happens?”
Shirley- Anne Somerville responded:
“I will meet a group of children and young people in the first of a series of engagement sessions very soon to hear directly from them about their priorities for education. That is the first in a series of moves that we are making in education to shift the power balance in order to enable learners to be fully centred in the development of the reform progress.
I mentioned in my statement the important work that we will carry out, which will be facilitated by the Scottish Youth Parliament. It will undertake an open discussion in its forthcoming summer sitting to ask young people how the national discussion should be shaped, and Professor Hayward has two members of the Scottish Youth Parliament working on her independent review group. I hope that that gives Ruth Maguire some examples of how we are putting young people at the heart of the process.”
Watch the exchange here:
Ruth’s question can be found on the Official Report of the Meeting of the Scottish Parliament here.
Ruth Maguire MSP 