Meeting of the Parliament 16 December 2025 [Draft]
As we conclude this debate, I do not want to dwell on the journey that the bill has gone through and mention things such as financial memorandums; I want to return to the heart of the bill, which is the belief that every child in Scotland should have the chance to experience residential outdoor education.
Such education is not just a trip away from home; it open doors to opportunities that will shape lives. We know from decades of evidence and from the testimony at stage 1 that such experiences build confidence, resilience, independence and team working, problem solving and leadership skills in our young people in ways that simply are not possible in classrooms.
For many young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, residential outdoor experiences are transformative. They spark ambitions, strengthen relationships and improve wellbeing, as we heard from the stage 1 evidence. Teachers have said that pupils return from such experiences more engaged, more motivated and more successful in their learning. Pupils often see their teachers as human beings, perhaps for the first time, and some teachers perhaps see the young people as human beings for the first time.
Outdoor residential education plays a vital role in meeting Scotland’s wider educational goals. It complements the learning for sustainability approach under the curriculum for excellence. At a time when mental health challenges among young people are rising, the benefits of time outdoors, away from screens and immersed in Scotland’s landscapes, cannot be overstated.
The bill is not about imposing burdens; it is about investing in Scotland’s future and giving our young people experiences that will help them to thrive in school, in work and in life. It sets out that outdoor learning is not an optional extra but an essential part of a well-rounded education.
It is right that we have picked up on the correspondence that we have received, including from the teaching profession, during the passage of the bill—and I welcome the Government’s agreement to collect data on the bill’s effect—because only by working hand in hand with our teachers and other adults who support our young people can we ensure that outdoor learning experiences are the best that they can be.
I am conscious of time, but I would like to pay a short and, I hope, deeply embarrassing tribute to Liz Smith. The bill will stand as a legacy of her work in the Scottish Parliament and as a testament to her passion for Scotland’s children and young people. She has championed the cause tirelessly, because she understands the life-changing impact that such experiences have. If the bill passes, it will not just be a policy achievement; it will be a reflection on her dedication to fairness and opportunity. The children who will laugh, who will hug a teddy tight on what they think is a cold night and who will get covered in mud will probably never know Liz Smith’s name, but those children will find a resilience inside themselves because of what, I hope, she will achieve today with the bill. On behalf of those nameless children of today and tomorrow, who might become MSPs in the future, I say a massive thank you to Liz Smith.
I urge members to support the bill at stage 3. Let us make residential outdoor education an entitlement, not a privilege. In doing so, we will give Scotland’s children confidence, resilience and—do you know what?—a bit of joy and happiness, which they deserve.
17:14