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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 19 December 2024
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Displaying 570 contributions

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Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 13 November 2024

George Adam

That kind of comes across, Freda. [Laughter.]

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 13 November 2024

George Adam

Jamie Miller, everyone has said that the capital spend could be the thing that either makes or breaks a centre. Your buildings are older. How would you deal with the capacity that will end up on your doorstep should the bill be passed? That would be a challenge for you.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 13 November 2024

George Adam

Phil Thompson, do you have similar issues?

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 6 November 2024

George Adam

Everyone has spoken about their individual experiences. I remember going to scout camps in, I think, Ardentinny—it was almost a rite of passage when I was at school. I do not remember any life-changing experiences, but I was a pretty stroppy and cynical teen—thank goodness I have grown up and matured a bit since then. [Laughter.] I knew that I would get that response; that is why I said it.

Professor Mannion, could you expand on what you said about the position of residential outdoor education in relation to approaches to outdoor learning? How does that include learning for sustainability? You have already outlined some of that, but I would be interested in hearing a bit more detail.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 6 November 2024

George Adam

I have a quick supplementary on the back of Pam Duncan-Glancy’s question. In such discussions, we inevitably talk about personal experience, but I want to take it to the next level, because I have a granddaughter who is neurodivergent. She is nine years old, and she struggles at school. What if you end up with a whole stack of young children who are neurodivergent?

As a family, we find it difficult to ensure that she is even wearing clothes when she goes out, because she does not like the feel of them, and she can make family get-togethers and excursions quite difficult. How do you deal with that in a residential setting, when you might have four or five children who are like that? How do you deal with that challenge and ensure that they get such opportunities? After all, if there are any children who need these kinds of opportunities, it is this group of young people.

Education, Children and Young People Committee [Draft]

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 6 November 2024

George Adam

Young people’s engagement is also important. We know that young people are extremely interested in many of the issues that you have mentioned, so if we want them to engage with education, we should include the issues that they want to work on. We have moved on from the time of sliding down a zip wire or going canoeing.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Senior Phase (Reform)

Meeting date: 30 October 2024

George Adam

Mr Bain, you deal with one of the key groups—parents themselves. That will be the big one to convince that this is the way forward. How do you see that happening? After all, you brought up the idea of the conversation.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Senior Phase (Reform)

Meeting date: 30 October 2024

George Adam

Being a referee is not a Mickey Mouse vocation.

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Senior Phase (Reform)

Meeting date: 30 October 2024

George Adam

Have you met my wife, then?

Education, Children and Young People Committee

Senior Phase (Reform)

Meeting date: 30 October 2024

George Adam

Good morning, everyone. I have been on the committee on and off during all my time as an MSP and, from day one, I have heard about teaching to the test. How do we take that conversation forward? Professor Hayward said that society puts a lot of emphasis on exams and results. How do we convince the rest of the world? Mr Bain said that we need to have that conversation with parents and employers so that they value and buy into the process. Getting that buy-in is one of the challenges that we always face. We can discuss it and say that this is the way forward but, out there in the real world, people will ask what we are doing.

I have already had a text from my very academic wife, who has watched today’s proceedings, saying “Oh. Right.” That is from somebody who is involved politically. How do we take the conversation forward and get the message out to the world that there are, as you say, other ways of assessing people?