With legislation now set to reshape our education system, we look forward to helping young people play a role in this once-in-a-generation reform.
This week, MSPs passed the Education (Scotland) Bill, which will see the installation of two separate bodies by autumn
this year.
Both Qualifications Scotland and the office of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education are expected to overcome power imbalances in the decision-making process, as well as the lack of youth participation. Both of these issues have been part of our campaigns, including the publication of an ‘Education Magazine’ and various engagements over the last five years to raise issues important to young people in Scotland.
For instance, we’ve worked with partners to gather the views of young people to feed into several government consultations following a National Discussion in 2023.
At the National Sitting in 2024, MSYPs led a workshop with a group of around 20 young people, to discuss specific proposals of a learner’s committee and learner’s charter, and the findings can be found here.
Ellie Craig, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, commented:
“At the Scottish Youth Parliament, we believe decision-makers should work towards creating space where young people can fully develop their talents and abilities and are meaningfully engaged in decisions that affect them – this legislation finally opens that door.
“However, we also recognise that this is just the beginning. The young people we represent want to see how these changes are put into practice, and we’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure their voices are heard during all co-design and inspection initiatives that shape their lives.”
MSYPs are set to discuss specific aspects of the education legislation as part of an Education Reform project, including further analysis of assessment and qualifications, the curriculum improvement cycle, and the role of learners in decision-making.
We’ll be sharing more information as our work progresses.
