Assembly's Role Acknowledged in Education Bill Stage 2 Discussions
We are pleased to share that the role of the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers was directly acknowledged during recent Stage 2 discussions of the Education (Scotland) Bill by the Scottish Parliament's Education, Children and Young People's Committee. In her evidence to the Committee, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Jenny Gilruth MSP, stated:
“I fully agree that parents and carers have a crucial role in supporting children and young people, and that they therefore have a role in ensuring that qualifications Scotland meets the needs of their children. We have already established the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers, which is delivered by Connect, and I would expect all national bodies, including qualifications Scotland, to take account of the assembly’s findings, which come directly from parents from all over Scotland. That further demonstrates our commitment to listening to parents and carers as advocates for their children. I lodged amendment 69 to ensure that parents and carers are included, although, having listened to the discussion, I am keen to work with members on how we can arrive at a mutually agreeable solution for stage 3 to that end, as previously intimated.”
This is a significant recognition of the Assembly’s role and the strength of parent and carer voices across Scotland.
We extend our heartfelt thank to all our members.
You can read further information on the Education (Scotland) Bill and keep up to date with its progress through Parliament here.