A bill that aims to give every pupil in Scotland the chance to take part in an outdoors education trip of five days and four nights has overcome a major obstacle this week.
The member’s bill from Conservative MSP Liz Smith would have fallen if the Scottish government had not brought forward a financial report - known as a financial resolution - in support of it by the end of this week.
Children’s minister Natalie Don-Innes confirmed to MSPs on Wednesday that the government had lodged the necessary papers.
The cost of outdoor education plan
However, with the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee having already estimated that it could cost up to about £40 million to implement the legislation if it is passed, Ms Don-Innes made clear that concerns about the affordability of the bill still need to be addressed.
She said: “Parliament has a responsibility to ensure that this bill, should it become law, is fit for purpose, meaning it is affordable and, of course, it is deliverable.”
Confirmation of the financial resolution came this week, almost six months after MSPs endorsed the general principles of the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill.
Ms Don-Innes said she was “really grateful” to Ms Smith for her “willingness to work through a range of different options” on the bill, including on its total cost and the workforce implications.
The minister said that the Scottish government “absolutely recognises the important role that outdoor learning in all its forms, including residential outdoor education, can play in supporting the development of our children and young people”.
She added that Ms Smith’s bill is a “significant positive opportunity”.
But Ms Don-Innes stressed that “the onus is now on Parliament” to work with both Ms Smith and the Scottish government “to address the challenges that have been raised in relation to funding”.
She said that the Conservative MSP had agreed to work with ministers to bring forward changes to the bill to “address the challenges of affordability and deliverability”.
‘Good news for young people across Scotland’
Ms Smith said she was “absolutely delighted” that the government had brought forward a financial resolution, as this would “ensure that the will of Parliament is supported”.
She added: “I am very aware there is still an awful lot of work to be done with the bill, but I think today is a very good news story for young people right across Scotland.”
Issues around the outdoor education bill will be addressed in an article to be published by Tes later today, by Greg Dempster, general secretary of primary school leaders’ body AHDS.
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