Greens to guarantee pupils rights to residential trips
The Scottish Greens will tomorrow unveil proposals to guarantee every pupil at least one residential trip during their time at both primary and secondary schools.
The proposal, set to be launched at the party’s manifesto launch in Glasgow, would give every school pupil a right to at least one residential school trip, as well as establish a support fund to ensure that low-income families are not excluded on grounds of cost.
Residential trips, most commonly experienced as a week-long trip to an outdoor education centre in Primary 7, have been on hold for over a year during the pandemic. In many schools this will mean that two year groups will move on to high school having missed this formative experience entirely. The trips provide opportunities to develop new skills and friendships, widen access to nature, and engage in a range of new outdoor activities and sports which many children may not otherwise have access to.
With isolated remote learning having been the norm for most of the last year, the Greens are arguing that every effort should be made to ensure that pupils in both primary and secondary school can catch up on lost opportunities such as residential trips.
As well as establishing a right to at least one residential trip in each of primary and secondary school, the Greens will set up a fund to cover the cost of these trips for lower income families. This would ensure that no one is excluded due to either direct or indirect costs such as the need for outdoor clothing. This follows evidence submitted to Parliament which indicates that many children from lower-income families are missing out on residential trips due to their costs.
Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer, said:
“The residential trip at the end of primary school is an important experience for young people, one many of us still have really strong positive memories of. Thousands of children across the country have now missed that experience entirely due to the pandemic.
"Even before covid many children were being excluded from this experience though, due to its costs. As well as establishing a right for every child to experience at least one trip in each of primary and secondary school, the Greens would set up a fund to help families on lower income cover the myriad costs which come with week-long residentials.
“It's really important to get kids outdoors again at every opportunity and as soon as possible, now we’re beginning to leave the pandemic behind us. We know these trips are massively beneficial to their development, helping to hone social and problem solving skills, build friendships and cement an appreciation for our natural world. Every child should have that opportunity.”