On 25 October 2016, the Scottish Government launched an independent review into the effectiveness and equity of the Scottish student support system.
I don’t know what I want to do, but I want to be hardworking
Member of Children’s Parliament, aged 10
The review addresses the most effective ways to support students in both Higher and Further Education with a focus on providing fair and fit-for-purpose support for the most vulnerable students in Scotland. Representatives from the office of the Independent Chair of the Review (Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO Virgin Money) commissioned Children’s Parliament to explore children’s views on access to Higher and Further Education and the potential barriers that may prevent children from participating in education beyond secondary school.
Children’s Parliament worked with children in both primary and secondary settings, facilitating creative workshops to address key questions about education. As with all CP work, we began with an input about children’s human rights and human dignity, and the connection between these ideas and learning/education. Following this initial input, we looked more specifically at the following themes:
The workshops culminated with each child creating a small ‘billboard’ that reflects the key messages about barriers and support around access to Higher and Further Education. The children’s views were then shared with Scottish Government and other important stakeholders.
View and download the report at the link below: