Chair’s Blog – October

October 18th, 2011

It’s been a busy month for SYP and for myself as Chair as our national campaign, Love Equally, now is about us all banding together and ensuring that the Scottish Government receive the most positive response to their Marriage Equality consultation that we can give them. A lot has been going on in SYP HQ, pushing forward the campaign with a brilliant event hosted in our very own offices and picked up by numerous newspapers and radio and TV stations. The press conference was of faith organisations who support SYP’s core campaign belief that all couples, be they homosexual or heterosexual should be allowed to marry. This builds on the great momentum we already have here at the SYP offices and on the amazing series of positive press coverage we have been receiving.

The SYP tour has now finally begun as Marie Gallagher and I travel all over Scotland to the different regions delivering SYP training and giving you face to face updates on what’s going on in SYP, opportunities available to you at that time and a chance to get to know the other MSYPs in your region. So far two tour events have been held with Marie and I going to Inverurie, where we received over 30 consultation responses in under an hour, and board trustee Jordan Linden and Marie Gallagher attended the SYP event held at Ayr. With a good number of events to go I can’t wait to get down or up to all your arenas and get some good old fashioned campaigning done, with a little bit of a laugh and free food thrown into the bargain.

The Cross Party Group on Children and Young People, on which I serve as Vice-Convener for, held its last meeting in the Parliament on the 29th of September where we looked into the current Welfare Reform Bill that is going through the Westminster. It was expressed that we as a whole Cross Party Group had serious concerns that the bill have many ill effects for families’ children and especially lone parent families’ children in Scotland. Our report went to the Scottish Government and days latter the Government passed a motion refusing to give legislative consent to the bill. While this is truly only a symbolic measure it does send the UK Government the message that there are flaws, we feel, within the bill and hope that it will be changed before implementation.

In September, YouthLink Scotland held a national summit where many different youth organisation came together to develop a communiqué to be sent to the Government discussing the position of Youth Work Services. I attended the event on behalf of the SYP and it was a brilliant event where both Annabel Goldie and the Secretary of State for Justice Kenny McAskill attended. I spoke about how, in my opinion, Youth work breeds diversity into our society and how without it young people would lose the chance to expand their interests and themselves as a people.

Renfrewshire Youth Voice invited me to attend an event where they were honouring the young people in their local area for the fantastic work that they have been doing. Awards ranging from young musician of the year to young career of the young. It was an honour to be invited to the event and asked to present an award. Thank you to all the members of RYV and once again congratulations to all the winners.

This coming Wednesday, thanks to recent partnership work between myself and a charity known as Open Door, I secured places for two West Lothian MSYPs, David Leitch and Allanah Peters, to attend and speak at Open Door’s AGM.

Finally I was on Brian Taylor’s Big Debate last week representing the SYP. It was an amazing experience and the feedback we have received has been excellent. I hope you had the chance to tune in and listen.

The October Sitting is only weeks away and I can’t wait to see you all again in North Ayrshire. I have been sending you out information about the sitting in dribs and drabs over the last few weeks and as you can see it is going to be a jam packed agenda. I’ll see you all there. If you have any questions please feel free to ask us on day, or if you have any feedback or questions in advance of the meeting please email me grant.costello.msyp@sypmail.org.uk

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Show your support for marriage equality!

October 10th, 2011

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Your Views Could Go Here!

October 7th, 2011

The SYP blog is proving to be a really popular feature of our new website, and we want to make sure it’s jam-packed with your views!

Hopefully, you’ll have enjoyed Keenan, Kelley and Grant’s blogs recently – if you’ve got a burning issue and you want to tell everyone about, this is the place to do it!

We’re looking for blog posts from as many MSYPs as we can, so if you’d like to write about an issue close to your heart, we’d be delighted to post it here.

So if you’ve got an idea for something you’d like to blog about, send it to Hamira Khan at hamira.k@syp.org.uk

  • It can be about a local issue you want to bring to national attention, something in the news, or just your thoughts on an issue that you care about – anything goes within reason!

 

  • Ideally, it should be about 400-500 words in length, although if it’s a wee bit shorter or longer than this that should be fine as well.

 

  • Make sure you spell-check it. It sounds obvious, but if there’s lots of spelling and grammatical errors then people will end up looking for them rather than reading what you have to say!

 

  • We reserve the right to edit your post, but we’ll try and avoid doing this unless there are major problems with it, as we want your views in your own words.

 

And that’s about it! Send your blog posts to hamira.k@syp.org.uk – and the stage could be yours!

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Religions speak up for marriage equality

September 28th, 2011

By Kelley Temple MSYP (Edinburgh Northern and Leith)

Religious leaders at marriage equality press conferenceIt is a great testament to the hard work of young people in Scotland and MSYPs across the country that the Love Equally campaign has really put the issue of equal marriage on the national agenda. This morning the SYP office was the venue for a press conference for representatives from religious communities in Scotland, who wanted the opportunity to explain why many religious organisations wanted the option and opportunity to conduct same sex marriages.

I found the conference to be a really exciting and refreshing opportunity to hear the perspective of a number of faith groups. Speaking were senior figures from religious organisations such as the Quakers, Unitarians, the Pagan Federation, Liberal Judaism, the Metropolitan Community Church and the Buddhist Community of Interbeing.

Reporters were asking questions about the concerns religious organisations have about being ‘forced’ to conduct same sex marriage. The groups present were very clear that the campaign is not about forcing religious groups to do anything, but about empowering them to conduct same sex marriages if they want to.

I was particularly interested in the view put forward that the current prohibition of same sex marriage is actually a violation of religious freedom. If we consider the exceptions which religious organisations currently enjoy, such as in employment law, for the state to prevent religious organisations conducting marriages between their members is improper, and not the place of the state.

These religious organisations were very clear in their frustration that they can not currently not honour long term committed relationships for people of the same gender in the same way they can between a woman and a man. It was very refreshing as an MSYP to speak to these religious organisations and realise the scope and depth of the support for the Love Equally campaign, which helped to bring the Scottish Government Consultation forward. The mandate which young people in Scotland have given the Scottish Youth Parliament to fight for equal marriage is well on its way to being fulfilled – and I am sure the Scottish Government have taken note. It was an honour to be involved with the event and we are delighted that religious organisations are throwing their weight behind the campaign.

We are still concerned that the government consultation doesn’t address the issue of heterosexual or people of the opposite gender being able to obtain a civil partnership and since we believe in equal rights for all, young people in Scotland want to see this option being made available. The press conference this morning was really inspiring and I know I am really keen that the Scottish Government takes notice of the opinions of religious groups who want the right to perform same sex marriage, and equal marriage for all.

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On International Development

September 21st, 2011

By Keenan Alexander MSYP (Glasgow Provan)

Recently the lack of coverage of the ever growing disaster in the Horn of Africa has really annoyed me. It’s typical of theKeenan Alexander MSYP society that we live in – out of sight, out of mind! I wanted to take this opportunity to bring it back to the forefront of people’s minds and to make some points on the issue.

Let’s be absolutely clear, this crisis isn’t getting any better. I watched a debate in the House of Commons on Food Security in Africa and many Members, from both sides of the house, made some very interesting points.

It’s very easy to respond to a crisis once it has hit. However, we’re not as good at preventing them. Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, said that we have a “moral responsibility to those most in need.” Frankly, I couldn’t have put it better myself. We hear of people, although thankfully they are in the minority, talking the crisis down. Andrea Leadsom, MP for South Northamptonshire, spoke about letters she has received from constituents who feel that it’s a waste of money and that “charity begins at home.” This level of ignorance is astounding. As someone who has experienced the poverty in Africa first hand, hearing statements like that really upsets me. Yes, times are hard in the UK. Yes, we face some public spending cuts and yes, one in four children in Scotland are living in poverty. Whilst in an ideal world this wouldn’t be the case, at least we have a Government who is working to tackle these issues.

In Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya a state of famine has been declared. I think the word famine is batted about too easily. A famine occurs when thirty percent of children in a country are “acutely malnourished.” So yes, things may seem difficult here in the UK, but there’s no comparison really!

This leads me to my second point. It’s a well known fact that democracies have far fewer famines than countries which don’t have democracy. Why is it then, that we aren’t taking action against the corrupt governments around the world, and particularly in Africa? Pauline Latham, MP for Mid Derbyshire and a member of the International Development Select Committee, spoke of the need to tackle corruption. Sadly, corruption exists at every level of society in many developing nations. It’s my belief that if we are ever to assist the people of East Africa then we need to ensure that their leaders, both locally and nationally, are doing everything they can to ensure that these disasters are less frequent. I use “disaster” loosely. To clarify, famines are not natural disasters. They occur as a result of both political and economic mismanagement and more importantly, human failure.

The United Nations has called this famine in the Horn of Africa “the worst in sixty years.” Sadly, there are 3.2 million people in immediate need of life saving assistance. The UN FSNAU predicts that the famine will continue until at least December 2011.

For anyone who has been to Africa, you’ll know how proud Africans are. They have a fantastic spirit and are, surprisingly, very grateful for what little they have. It’s absolutely essential that any support from the UN and NGOs are a hand up, and not a hand out. These people have their pride and should be seen as equals. Yes we may feel bad about their situations but one thing they don’t want is our pity.

Although I have focussed on the negatives, there are many positives. The people of the UK are, and always have been, extremely generous. Like I mentioned earlier, and as we all know, times are tough in the UK. However, the UK is the second largest donor to the region, behind the United States. The UK Government committed .7 % of the UKs gross national income (gni) to aid. So far, the Disasters Emergency Committee has received donations of over £45m from the British public. The World Bank has also pledged £307m. Whilst all this money will be very welcome, I don’t believe that it’s the answer. We need to educate and help nations in Africa become self sufficient. This may be a long way off but there’s no better time to start!

I’m a great believer in the old saying, “give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for the rest of his life.”

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Chair’s Blog – August

August 31st, 2011

Since the time of my last blog I have been extremely busy promoting our Love Equally campaign, as well as the promises I made to every single MSYP at our AGM in June.Grant Costello Msyp

It’s been a brilliant two months, with the SYP name and image growing a great deal – I’m so proud of the amazing work we have all done – from the SYP staff team to all the MSYPs pushing our campaign across Scotland.

As you may know I attended the launch of our national campaign Love Equally, but for the weeks previous I was busy meeting with our staff regularly to try and ensure this was one of the best launches that the Scottish Youth Parliament has ever had. I think many of you will agree it was a great success and with the massive media coverage we received from STV, The Scotsman, ITV Wales, Pink News and many more it was our best publicised campaign ever. Lessons have been learnt and I will ensure that MSYPs receive information in advance of future campaign launches.

Obviously the work of the campaign did not stop there.  While all of you were out working hard to gather hundreds of petition signatures, I was working on challenging the false perception of our campaign created by John Mason MSP’s motion in the Scottish Parliament. I am delighted that the work done by myself and the staff has paid off – with MSPs from every single party backing Patrick Harvie’s amendment to the motion and the personal messages of support we have been receiving for not only our national campaign but for the work we do as an organisation has been fantastic.

In my local area of East Kilbride I will be busy continuing to gather as many signatures as possible for our petition. Now can’t be the time to rest on our laurels, we need to show decisions makers of the Scottish Parliament that it’s time to not just consult on Equal Marriage, but to legislate on it. The only way that this is possible is to ensure that we get as many signatures as possible, so please keep promoting the campaign and petition.

Away from the hectic work of campaigning myself, Rae Cahill, Malcolm Andrews and Kyle Thornton went down to Leeds for the UKYP Sitting.  Well done to Kyle who successfully got a Scottish perspective into the UKYP manifesto with his motion on simplifying the UK tax system for young people everywhere. In Leeds I also met with the newly elected President of the NUS, Liam Burns, having extremely positive talks on new links between SYP and the National Union of Students.

This month I was also in London to meet with officials of the Votes@16 Coalition Group and representatives of the British Youth Council. Votes@16 is an important issue for us as an organization and I was proud to represent young people at that meeting and offer new and innovative ideas that have been effective for us in the SYP in the hope that one day votes at 16 will be a reality.

After the Votes at 16 meeting I met with staff from the British Youth Council and some of the young BYC members to see how BYC and the Scottish Youth Parliament can come much closer together and fight for the right of young people in the halls and corridors of Holyrood, Westminster and the European Parliament.

Last week, I went to Belfast with Marie Gallagher to speak at a member’s day of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum (NIYF).  I thought it would also be a good opportunity to discuss how SYP and the NIYF could work more closely together and how we could learn for each other’s strengths.

I attended an evening reception at Edinburgh Castle with the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Alex Neil MSP and the Climate Change and Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson MSP as they launched Scotland’s bid to host the World Water Forum’s Conference in 2015. I chatted with both ministers on the SYP manifesto and was introduced to the Chief Executives of the World Water Forum and Scottish Water.

I was also invited to speak at the Young Scots for Independence’s National Conference, which was a great opportunity to promote our Love Equally campaign.

I have been extremely busy meeting with MSPs in our new office to help build upon the great feeling and momentum which the organisation is developing right now. Linda Fabiani MSP, Derek Mackay MSP, Kezia Dugdale MSP, Patrick Harvie MSP, Marco Biagi MSP and Joan McAlpine MSP are just some of parliamentarians I have met with to discuss our work in the Scottish Youth Parliament and of course our campaign.

I’m really looking forward to the October Sitting – as promised, at the hustings session there will be a Board Q&A. If you have any questions please feel free to ask us on day, or if you have any feedback or questions in advance of the meeting please email me grant.costello.msyp@sypmail.org.uk

See you all in North Ayrshire on the 29th October!

Grant Costello

Chair
Scottish Youth Parliament

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Riots – why not Scotland?

August 11th, 2011

With the growing success of our Love Equally campaign and lots going on at SYP, it would be easy to let the major public unsettlement in England pass us by without comment.

The riots have really made everyone have a think about society, and it’s not all bad either. Yes, there has been an eruption of anger and crime which has highlighted many issues. However, you cant help being moved by some of the efforts by member of the public to help, by communities getting together to clean up the mess. And it’s reassuring to see the media giving this part of the riots due coverage – rather than only focusing on the bad. The Metro posted this photo of a ‘broom army’.

Many questions are being asked, and at the moment there don’t seem to be many answers. Are these people angry about politics? Or are they solely opportunistic criminals? Have a look at this insightful article on the Guardian website about the psychology of the riot. It is a very complex topic to tackle, so this blog post will focus on a question that has been in our minds – why not Scotland?

There have been two arrests made in Scotland over Facebook pages apparently trying to start a Scottish riot, however so far the peace has been kept. What reasons do you think are behind why Scotland has kept out of this disturbance? Chair of SYP Grant Costello says: “No one really knows why they are actually happening, so it’s hard to say why it hasn’t happened here. But I think that in Scotland we have a different government, a different system of health care and social care, so maybe that’s what the difference is.”

A lot of social media sites have discussions about how the rioters are all young people and many users have criminalised all young people. However, the first person to attend court and plead guilty to looting is a 31 year old teacher.

Grant comments on this view of young people: “I don’t think you can blame all young people, it’s at most a couple of thousand young people out of the millions of young people living in the UK. It is a specific group of people that are intent on causing harm and disruption and a group of people who are left out from society. Most young people are terrified and disgusted at this behaviour, and many are trying to help the clean up.”

Liam Preston, Chair of the British Youth Council looks for the reasons behind why young people are acting in such a way. In his blog he says: “I read a tweet recently asking for ‘justice’ to be done to these young people, however the questions the young people are asking themselves and have been for a number of months now is where is the justice for what happened to them, where is the justice for those who caused the financial mess in the first place? The answer, wrongly, for some of them seems to be rioting and looting the streets of London.”

It is hard to say what will come next, the police and David Cameron promise that justice will be served and those committing the crimes will be punished accordingly. However, the more pressing question is – what will be done to stop the cause of these riots? What action do you think should be taken, and why do you think the riots haven’t spread to Scotland?

Interesting links:

http://yahel.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/riot-wombles-en-marcha-despues-de-que-vandalos-devastan-las-calles-de-londres-twitter-inspira-la-revuelta-de-la-limpieza-en-la-comunidad-todos-armados-de-cepillos-realmente-el-gobierno-no-se-mere/
This is a foreign blog but some of the photos are powerful and shocking

http://lbpreston.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/beginning-middle-end/
Chair of BYC’s blog

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675
BBC running coverage

 

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Love Equally

August 4th, 2011

Our ‘Love Equally’ campaign launched on Monday, and it’s been all go since then! We are delighted to have received so much support, media coverage and signatures on our petition, and we hope it keeps up!SYP's Love Equally Logo

Launch

Monday saw the launch of our Love Equally campaign at the Scottish Parliament. The press were invited to our SYP wedding reception where MSYP’s posed as couples for photos and spoke to press. MSYPs in attendance were Terri Miller, Jordan Linden, Grant Costello, Dariush Saheli, Eilidh Still, and Kelley Temple.  They were ‘wed’ with special guests including Patrick Harvie MSP and Marco Biagi MSP. We have some great photos of the launch on our facebook page.

Media coverage from launch:

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Scottish-Youth-Parliament-launch-campaign.6811423.jp

http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/news/264565-syp-says-i-do-to-equal-marriage-rights/

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/08/02/scottish-youth-parliament-calls-for-gay-marriage/

http://www.thinkscotland.org/news-scotland/news.html?read_full=11131&article=Www.reformscotland.com

 

Interest and Opinion

We seemed to have raised a lot of interest not only in our campaign, but in the general issue, which is already a hot topic.

Marco Biagi submitted a motion to parliament stating:

*S4M-00276 Marco Biagi MSP: Scottish Youth Parliament to Campaign for Marriage Equality—That the Parliament celebrates its long and close working relationship with the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP); notes that the SYP represents young people aged 14 to 25 from all across Scotland; further notes that, at its annual general meeting on 11-12 June 2011, the SYP chose to make marriage equality for same-sex couples its priority campaign for the coming year; awaits the opportunity for what it considers to be the wide range of views held on this subject to be expressed when the Scottish Government formally launches its consultation, and encourages the SYP, as part of its campaign, to play a full and proper role in this process. Supported by: Kevin Stewart*, Alison Johnstone*, Patrick Harvie*, Bob Doris*

John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettelston posed a contrasting motion to parliament reading:

S4M-00586 John Mason (Scottish National Party): That the Parliament notes the current discussion about same-sex marriages and the Scottish Government’s forthcoming public consultation concerning equal marriage; further notes that while some in society approve of same-sex sexual relationships, others do not agree with them; desires that Scotland should be a pluralistic society where all minorities can live together in peace and mutual tolerance; believes that free speech is a fundamental right and that even when there is disagreement with another person’s views, that person has the right to express these views, and considers that no person or organisation should be forced to be involved in or to approve of same-sex marriages.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie responded to John Mason’s motion by saying “Many progressive SNP MSPs will be holding their heads in their hands today to read what John Mason has written. Perhaps someone could sit down with him and explain that two men or two women deciding to get married doesn’t infringe the rights of heterosexual couples who want to marry, and that there’s no secret gay agenda to undermine society, just a campaign to be allowed to play a full part in it.”

We are glad that there is such a big discussion going on at the moment, which highlights the need for consultation. We have received many other messages of support over facebook and twitter, thanks to everyone who has been involved so far!

What’s next?

August
5th and 6th Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in Inverness
9th British Youth Council Conference, Glasgow
13th Youth Beatz, Dumfries
20th Festival of Politics, Edinburgh
27th and 28th The Young Carers Festival, West Linton
September
1st Template letter will be sent out to MSYPs encouraging them to write to their MSP and MP.
October
29th and 30th SYP October Sitting, kindly sponsored by North Ayrshire Council

 

Get involved!

Remember to keep us updated with your campaigning. Please send all completed petitions to Kate Bouchier-Hayes, Scottish Youth Parliament, Gordon Lamb House, 3 Jackson’s Entry, Edinburgh, EH8 8PJ.

Keep posting links to the online petition on facebook, twitter etc. The link is - http://www.change.org/petitions/scottish-government-consult-on-same-sex-marriage-and-registration-of-civil-partnerships-now

 

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Let’s hear it for volunteers!

July 21st, 2011

In a time of economic difficulty, young people can find themselves hardest hit with fewer job vacancies and unable to compete with candidates with decades of experience. Volunteering is a positive destination for young people who would otherwise find themselves in a very negative situation, and provide them with invaluable skills and experience when employment opportunities arise.

The Scottish Youth Parliament work hard to ensure our volunteers are treated correctly. SYP were winners of the 2010 Investing in Volunteers Award and value our young volunteers greatly. We have also worked on making sure young volunteers are heard. In our manifesto, we asked young people if they agree with the following statements: “Employers should be required to be flexible for young volunteers” which 81% of young people agreed with. And 72.31% of young people agreed with the statement: “The Scottish Government should develop and implement a national youth volunteering policy for Scotland and demonstrate how it supports national youth volunteering opportunities which develop skills development for all young people in Scotland.”

Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteers are the core of what the Scottish Youth Parliament do. Without our passionate volunteers, young people across Scotland would not be represented the way they are. We think that there are numerous positive benefits of young people volunteering, to organisations, communities and most importantly the young person involved.

For an organisation taking on a young volunteer, economic benefits are gained in building their capacity. Particularly when the economic climate is tough, smaller organisations often find themselves unable to pay for staff to carry out their work. A young volunteer can add dynamism, passion and fresh ideas whilst being affordable by the very nature of their time being given voluntarily.

For young people, the benefits of volunteering are potentially enormous. It allows young people to develop their skills, as well as engaging them in the wider world. Youth volunteering can take many shapes, from roles that build confidence and basic life skills to taking on voluntary governance positions.

 From our own experiences, young people becoming MSYPs have developed a range of valuable skills including organisational and time management abilities. They have the opportunity to become confident public speakers, dynamic facilitators with excellent consultation skills as well as having the opportunity to take on decision-making roles. At the start of their careers, young people who take on these roles develop skills that will be valuable throughout their working lives, such as responsibility, working with older adults, confidence in important situations and taking account of the long-term “bigger picture” in making decisions.

Volunteering is an ideal and comparatively under-resourced way of allowing young people to develop skills in a way that many find more engaging than being taught them in a formal educational setting.

The Destinations of Leavers from Scottish Schools 2008/09 study indicates that just 0.2% of school leavers entered voluntary work, compared to 11.5% who were unemployed and seeking employment or training, the highest rate in five years.

Interesting Facts

  • 31% of adults (1.27m people) in Scotland volunteer through an organisation or group (Scottish Household Survey, 2007/8).
  • These volunteers give over 142m hours each year, equating to an economic value of £2.2bn.
  • More than 100 million Europeans (around 30%) engage in voluntary activities (Eurobarometer, 2008).
  • 60% of people feel they have never been asked to volunteer (VDS, 2004).
  • Volunteers report that their volunteering provides them with valuable skills and experience, and helps them find a job.
  • Volunteering can have major positive benefits, including skills development, health improvement, mental wellbeing, building confidence and self esteem.

 

Available awards for Volunteers

  • SYP eLearning

As an MSYP, you can take part in our eLearning programme. This is a set of modules that you can complete in your own time. The modules are rated on the Scottish Credit Qualifications Framework (SCQF) giving all MSYPs 7 credits at level 5. This is comparable with a Credit Standard Grade.

Other modules are rated at level 6 and 7 and are relevant to specific roles within the SYP or open to other young people, such as youth forum members.

Youth Achievement Awards

The Youth Achievement Awards are for young people aged 14+.

There are four main rewards that you can do:
Bronze – it’s about young people taking part
Silver - young people helping/sharing responsibility with others
Gold – young people show they can organise things
Platinum – young people do training and lead on a project

There are lots of councils and voluntary organisations that offer these awards so it’s worth asking your school or youth project. There’s also more info on the Youth Scotland website.

  • The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is for young people aged 14-25.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has three different levels:
Bronze (you need to be aged 14+)
Silver (you need to be aged 15+)
Gold (you need to be aged 16+)

The main parts to the award are:
Service – giving something back to your community e.g picking up litter
Skills – could be anything really from dress making, cookery, filming studies
Recreation – could be a sport you already play or an activity you want to take up
Expedition – trip where you camp overnight and fend for yourself
Residential Project – (for Gold Awards only)

  • Millennium Volunteer Awards

There are three levels of MV certificate, requiring you to undertake 50, 100 or 200 hours of volunteering (with this including your travelling and training time). Anyone achieving the 200 hours gets a certificate signed by Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond.

Interesting Links

http://www.syp.org.uk/volunteer-with-syp-W21page-107-

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/07/18120453

http://www.volunteerscotland.org.uk/

http://www.scvo.org.uk/

http://www.vds.org.uk/

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Rural Education

July 14th, 2011

Rural Education has been a hot topic for a while, and since plans to close nine rural primary schools in Argyll and Bute were paused earlier this year due to a request from ministers, the government has been taking action.

Education Secretary Mike Russell asked for the freeze while legislation on closures is looked at again.

The new Commission on Rural Education consists of local authority representatives, parents, head teachers and experts. Emily Shaw MSYP was invited to be part of the commission.

 Emily said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be asked to represent the Scottish Youth Parliament on the Commission on Rural Education. It is a huge honour for both myself and the SYP. It’s fantastic to see the views of young people, who are affected by the provision of rural education, being considered and I look forward to the months ahead.”

The Commission, chaired by Sheriff David Sutherland from Tain, is tasked with examining both how the delivery of rural education can maximise the attainment and life chances of young people in rural areas, and the link between rural education and rural communities.

The Commission will also review the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 and its application and make recommendations on the delivery of all aspects of education in rural areas.

The Commission’s remit is:

  • To review the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 and its application
  • To examine how the delivery of rural education can maximise attainment and outcomes to give pupils the best life chances, and to examine, where appropriate, how this can be applied more widely
  • To make recommendations on how to reflect best practice on the delivery of all aspects education in rural areas (pre-school through to Higher and Further Education)
  • To examine the links between rural education and the preservation, support and development of rural communities and to make recommendations on how these links might be strengthened if necessary
  • To examine and make recommendations on funding issues surrounding rural education

What have SYP said about this?

The SYP held an interactive session at our National Sitting in September 2008 to coincide with the Scottish Government’s ‘Safeguarding our rural schools and improving school consultation procedures’ consultation.  Scottish Youth Parliament Consultation Response

Based on the views of our membership, the Scottish Youth Parliament supports the Bill’s proposals pertaining to:

  • The Educational Benefits Statement
  • The School Closures Handling Plan, including the special considerations for schools in remote rural areas
  • The expansion of the list of required consultees, particularly the addition of school pupils to the list

The SYP urges the Parliament to consider:

  • Requiring national guidelines to be produced relating to the suitability of school pupils to be consulted based on age and maturity grounds
  • All residents from the school catchment area to be involved in the consultation, particularly in remote rural areas

The SYP does not support:

  • The creation of a rural schools subsidy fund

So, what happens now? Education Secretary Michael Russell said: “It is very helpful that those who deliver education are fully engaged along with communities and parents to make sure we are getting it absolutely right for school pupils in rural areas.

“The group will report back next spring with a number of recommendations on the way forward for the delivery of education in rural areas.”

COSLA President Councillor Pat Watters said: “The task in front of the Commission is not an easy one, but I feel sure that with the expertise round the table it will produce a thoughtful report. Along with the Cabinet Secretary I look forward to seeing the recommendations next year.”

Interesting links:

http://www.engageforeducation.org/2011/07/commission-on-rural-education-finalised/

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/07/07104842

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