Holyrood committee backs outdoors education Bill despite funding ‘challenges’

A Holyrood committee has narrowly backed a Bill that aims to ensure all school children can benefit from outdoors education – with MSPs stating there are “challenges” over how this would be funded.

Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee estimated it could cost between £24.3m and £40.6m in the first year alone if proposals from Tory MSP Liz Smith were passed.

The Conservative MSP wants to change the law so that all pupils can have the chance to experience at least four nights and five days of residential outdoor education during their time at school.

After scrutinising the proposals in her Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill, MSPs agreed that such experiences can have “life-changing benefits” for youngsters.

But their report raised concerns over how this would be funded and how to ensure pupils with additional support needs (ASN) could also benefit from the trips.

And the MSPs made clear: “This Bill should only proceed providing these concerns can be addressed.”

The casting vote of convener Douglas Ross meant that the committee narrowly backed the general principles of the Bill to ensure “all pupils in Scotland have equal access to residential outdoor education”.

Meanwhile, the report stressed the committee had “outlined concerns in relation a number of areas including the financial aspects of this Bill”, adding that if it is passed, “sufficient time must be allowed to put the necessary arrangements in place prior to its implementation”.

While the report stressed that “the committee believes that all pupils should have the opportunity to experience residential outdoor education at some point in their school career”, they also said there were “some challenges” with the universal approach put forward in the legislation.

These included “how any statutory requirement to provide residential outdoor education should be funded” as well as ensuring that disabled children “get the support they need to enjoy the right equally” – with the MSPs noting this would have “additional resource implications”.

Ross said Smith should work with the Scottish Government to seek to resolve the issues with the Bill.

The committee convener said: “Throughout this inquiry we heard about the hugely positive impact that outdoor residential education can have on the development and attainment of children and young people.

“While we agree with the general principles of the Bill, there are financial challenges attached to the delivery of outdoor residential education that need to be overcome for it to become law.

“We want to see the Scottish Government and the member who introduced the Bill, Liz Smith MSP, work together to resolve these.”

Smith said: “I’m delighted that my Bill has had the backing of the Education Committee, which has recognised the well-documented advantages of ensuring that every Scottish pupil can take part in outdoor education.

“Those benefits are particularly pronounced for the most disadvantaged children, who are currently likely to miss out. That’s why my Bill would guarantee equal access and the opportunity for all to gain from these potentially transformative residential programmes.

“While funding will be something to be examined in detail during the Bill’s progress, I hope the Bill will get wide support from all parties as it moves forward.”