Scottish Education

EDM number 1579 in 1993-94, proposed by Michael Connarty on 17/10/1994.

That this House notes the concern expressed by the Scottish Trade Union Congress; believes that Scottish education can be best served through the early establishment of a Scottish Parliament, based on the model developed by the Scottish Constitutional Convention, which has control over all educational provision in Scotland from nursery to university, and that the establishment of such a Parliament offers the best safeguards for the pursuit of educational policy unique to Scotland and the protection of the Scottish curriculum, assessment and certification system, comprehensive system of day school education and further and higher education structures; notes the recent research by the Scottish Council for Research in Education which found significant and higher levels of stress among teachers than in comparable working groups, and that teachers were found to be working the equivalent of an extra day per week, through work carried out in break times, evenings and weekends; notes with concern that continuing threat to Scottish education through Government proposals for the reform of local government in Scotland, and the pursuit by Government of educational policies which have no measurable support among the Scottish electorate; in particular views with concern the effects of these reforms in undermining current agreements removing democratic accountability, ushering in 'joint boards' to control education and offering assistance to the discredited policy of opting out; welcomes the efforts of trade unions, parents, local authorities and community organisations to resist the Government's politically driven reforms in education in Scotland; and calls on the Government to work with education unions to further the aims of Scottish education.

This motion has been signed by a total of 13 MPs.