Pupils to be consulted on school governance

Raised hands - Dave Thompson/PA 

Scottish school pupils are to be consulted on how their schools are run and whether they provide fair opportunities for all.

The three-month engagement will gather views on governance, equity, how much young people’s voice is heard and whether the school has good links with their community.

The results will feed directly into the Scottish Government’s review of school governance, launched by Education Secretary John Swinney last month.

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Young people’s citizenship charity Young Scot will undertake the engagement across the country in partnership with Children in Scotland and the Scottish Youth Parliament.

The project is funded by £61,000 from the Scottish Government, and will seek the voices of young people from both urban and rural settings, in the care system, and those who have a disability.

Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Scot, said children and young people need to be “at the heart” of the consultation.

“They are experts of their own experience, and it is vital they are given the opportunity to share their insight and their views about what matters so much for them today and in the future,” she said.

Children in Scotland Chief Executive Jackie Brock said: "We believe that children and young people have the right to influence policy and legislation that has an impact on their lives." 

Speaking from the first session at Broughton High School in Edinburgh this morning, Swinney said: “I’ve committed to listening to teachers, practitioners and partners. It’s also crucial that we seek the views of children and young people – on what works well with their learning and in their schools and where improvements can be made.”

According to Swinney the principle of schools being “empowered” to make their own decisions is a “guiding principle” of the Scottish Government’s new consultation on the school system.

This had led to concerns about its impact on local accountability if councils had less influence over education strategy in different parts of Scotland.