Chamber
Plenary, 22 Mar 2007
22 Mar 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Education
I am sure that there are good points in the SNP amendment but, for reasons that the member will appreciate, I will not be voting for it.
My first point is that we are denying our young people ordinary, civilised human contact. We have tried to approach the issue through the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill, which improved as it went through Parliament. I am arguing not about the bill but about the background. The current ethos is that it is considered a crime to touch a child. If someone picks up a child who has fallen in the playground or if they cuddle a child who is weeping and obviously under stress, they are somehow doing something wrong. That is a profoundly uncivilised attitude for which we will pay because young people will be stunted emotionally as a result.
My second point is about robbing children of the chance to take reasonable judgments about risk, whether that is in climbing mountains, playing games or doing ordinary activities. Part of growing up is evaluating risks, and now children are not allowed to do that. We are completely under the control of the lawyers of the insurance industry or local councils or whoever draws up the ridiculous rules that prevent children from doing ordinary childish things and learning what is safe and what is not. We have to get that issue sorted out.
We also need more enriching activities. The Executive has recently produced a youth strategy, which has some good ideas. It is up to ministers or their successors to deliver them. For example, we need to brace up our attitude to sport—both individual and team. Many children are still being denied the exhilaration and pleasure that they can get out of sport and learning individual and team activities. It may be a Victorian attitude, but I believe that learning about teamwork is a profoundly civilising and community-type activity. Many children do not learn that at all. We can learn how to accept defeat and victory, to play hard but fair and to achieve a bit of health. In many areas, children are denied that. In some areas, things are done well, but in others they are not.
The next point is on the creative side and the pleasure that can be got from a creative art. That can include singing in a choir—we have made some advances on that recently—playing a part in a play, playing in an orchestra or band, and painting. However, the creative arts are still not in the main stream of education, which they should be. They are much more important than some of the ritualistic things that we make children learn.
Many young people are also denied civilised socialising because there are no youth clubs or facilities in their area where they can learn to associate with their peers in a reasonable way. There is also a lack of outdoor education, which is beneficial to people and widens their views on life. They can learn about nature, the environment and attitudes to risk. Often related to that, we deny children residential education, which again teaches them to mingle with others when away from home. In many cases, we do not give children a chance to learn to manage activities or to get involved in youth clubs and suchlike. There are many youth clubs that young people get involved in, but many children have no opportunity to do that.
Those are some of the areas that I think we have to address in order to produce a good educational system. It is not just about learning; it is about what in another sphere are known as soft skills and developing human beings. We want the future generation of Scots to be really good-quality human beings. That is a noble aim that, regardless of party, we can all share.
My first point is that we are denying our young people ordinary, civilised human contact. We have tried to approach the issue through the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Bill, which improved as it went through Parliament. I am arguing not about the bill but about the background. The current ethos is that it is considered a crime to touch a child. If someone picks up a child who has fallen in the playground or if they cuddle a child who is weeping and obviously under stress, they are somehow doing something wrong. That is a profoundly uncivilised attitude for which we will pay because young people will be stunted emotionally as a result.
My second point is about robbing children of the chance to take reasonable judgments about risk, whether that is in climbing mountains, playing games or doing ordinary activities. Part of growing up is evaluating risks, and now children are not allowed to do that. We are completely under the control of the lawyers of the insurance industry or local councils or whoever draws up the ridiculous rules that prevent children from doing ordinary childish things and learning what is safe and what is not. We have to get that issue sorted out.
We also need more enriching activities. The Executive has recently produced a youth strategy, which has some good ideas. It is up to ministers or their successors to deliver them. For example, we need to brace up our attitude to sport—both individual and team. Many children are still being denied the exhilaration and pleasure that they can get out of sport and learning individual and team activities. It may be a Victorian attitude, but I believe that learning about teamwork is a profoundly civilising and community-type activity. Many children do not learn that at all. We can learn how to accept defeat and victory, to play hard but fair and to achieve a bit of health. In many areas, children are denied that. In some areas, things are done well, but in others they are not.
The next point is on the creative side and the pleasure that can be got from a creative art. That can include singing in a choir—we have made some advances on that recently—playing a part in a play, playing in an orchestra or band, and painting. However, the creative arts are still not in the main stream of education, which they should be. They are much more important than some of the ritualistic things that we make children learn.
Many young people are also denied civilised socialising because there are no youth clubs or facilities in their area where they can learn to associate with their peers in a reasonable way. There is also a lack of outdoor education, which is beneficial to people and widens their views on life. They can learn about nature, the environment and attitudes to risk. Often related to that, we deny children residential education, which again teaches them to mingle with others when away from home. In many cases, we do not give children a chance to learn to manage activities or to get involved in youth clubs and suchlike. There are many youth clubs that young people get involved in, but many children have no opportunity to do that.
Those are some of the areas that I think we have to address in order to produce a good educational system. It is not just about learning; it is about what in another sphere are known as soft skills and developing human beings. We want the future generation of Scots to be really good-quality human beings. That is a noble aim that, regardless of party, we can all share.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-5775, in the name of Hugh Henry, on celebrating success in Scottish education.
The Minister for Education and Young People (Hugh Henry):
Lab
I am delighted to open a debate that gives us an opportunity to put on record all the significant developments that are taking place in Scottish education.As...
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
If such substantial progress has been made since the Labour-Liberal Executive came to power, can the minister explain why in 1997 there were 1,707 teachers i...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
The Executive has delivered on its commitment to bring in more teachers. Indeed, by August, we will have met our target of 53,000 teachers in Scotland. As th...
Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
The minister is not the only one who visits schools in Scotland; as he would expect, we all do. Secondary schools have been telling us that a quarter of prim...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
We can address some of the issues that still have to be tackled. The fact is that Scotland's performance ranks in the top third of Organisation for Economic ...
Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
Does the minister agree that it is unfortunate that many of the rural schools in Moray that have received excellent inspection reports in recent years have b...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
Any such decision—and, indeed, the quality of education in the area—is a matter for the local authority in Moray. However, we are determined to raise standar...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
I greatly appreciated the minister's list of visits to schools in marginal constituencies with Labour members who are in their final days in office.The SNP i...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
Does the member have any information on the geographical location and sociological demographics of the classes that she describes as being too big?
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
Margo MacDonald makes a good point. Indeed, in the debate on the Crichton campus at lunch time, the issue was raised in relation to Dumfries and Galloway. Pe...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
Will the member give way?
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
I want to move on.We should be introducing a baccalaureate as a group award in highers for top performance, first in languages and then in science, to encour...
Mr Davidson:
Con
Will Ms Hyslop enlighten us on the science baccalaureate? What plans does the SNP have to fill the current shortages in science teachers at the top end of sc...
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
The SNP plans to maintain teacher numbers in the face of falling school rolls. We will encourage people to become teachers, particularly early years, science...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
I am in my last minute.The extra cost of PPP finance means that schools will lose at least £900,000 that could be spent on more books, better equipment and m...
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con):
Con
Like Fiona Hyslop, we all believe strongly in the pursuit of educational excellence. I thank her for her kind words about the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. I...
Hugh Henry:
Lab
I pay tribute to Lord James for the contribution that he has made to public life in Scotland over many years. He has played a distinguished role not only in ...
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Con
There have been substantial improvements to Scottish education since before that time. Those improvements have been steady and we must learn from them. Howev...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
Will the member take an intervention?
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Con
I will take a brief intervention, but I have quite a lot to say.
Margaret Smith:
LD
Does the member agree that it is important that Scottish history be taught in our schools, if for no other reason than to remind children of the important ro...
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Con
I thank Margaret Smith and Hugh Henry very much for their kind words.I support the teaching of history in schools, although not for the reason that Margaret ...
Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD):
LD
I am pleased to follow Lord James Douglas-Hamilton in the debate, because that gives me an opportunity to pay tribute to him after his final speech in this p...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
Will the Treasury have an interest in whether the PPP-style mechanism can be replaced with another one, or will it be something that is just for the Scottish...
Iain Smith:
LD
My understanding is that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to create the bonds that the SNP proposes to have, which means that the policy would...
Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
We are going to abolish the council tax, not cap it.
Iain Smith:
LD
Whether it is the council tax or the local income tax that is capped, it will starve local authorities of resources. Worse than that, the SNP will put all th...
Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab):
Lab
I start by adding to the tributes to Lord James Douglas-Hamilton. Some 30 or so years ago, Lord James was my MP, although I am afraid that I did not vote for...