Primary school leaders’ body the AHDS has said it cannot back a law that would give every child the right to a week-long outdoor residential trip, even though these are “of huge benefit to a great many pupils”.
AHDS says it has to factor in the hard reality that education is facing “a time of significant financial constraint, when schools are losing staff”.
The residential outdoor education bill is being spearheaded by Scottish Conservative MSP Liz Smith.
It proposes that all pupils in state schools “will have the opportunity for at least four nights and five days residential outdoor education in their school career”, and says the estimated cost of £34 million a year should be covered by the Scottish government.
ASN should see ‘every penny’
However, AHDS general secretary Greg Dempster, in a written response to the bill, says that if £34m became available, “AHDS would argue for every penny to be spent on better supporting pupils with additional support needs”.
He adds: “Proper support is, without question, the biggest challenge facing Scottish education at present.”
Education directors’ body ADES comes out in support of the bill, but says: “Whilst fully supportive of the rich experience offered by outdoor education, making this aspect of the curriculum compulsory would highlight many pragmatic challenges that need to be fully considered and understood.”
ADES executive officer Carrie Lindsay, in her organisation’s official response, questions whether the bill has been “fully costed for all that would be required to make this work”. For example, “the financial considerations do not take into account any overtime payments for staff”.
She points out that trips are currently staffed and attended on a voluntary basis, but that the bill would change this, “making attendance on residential trips compulsory for staff”.
This means that “obligatory overnights could be written into terms and conditions for teachers”, which could be “especially challenging where a teacher or member of support staff has family or caring responsibilities”.
Ms Lindsay adds: “Advice from HR specialist lawyers should be sought to identify the implications for terms and conditions as well as unions being consulted.”
The response to the bill from Moray Council states that it is “fully supportive of the rich experience offered by outdoor education”, but that “making this aspect of the curriculum compulsory would highlight many pragmatic challenges”.
It adds that the bill is “silent on some of the practical considerations and finances that would need to be in place”. There are “many questions left unanswered” and the council says it is “unclear if enough preparatory work has been undertaken” to realise the bill’s proposals.
P7 residentials ‘highlight of the year’
Brunstane Primary School in Edinburgh is in support of the bill. Its submission says that the traditional P7 residential trip is “generally the highlight for all of our children when they evaluate their year” and allows them “to see that there is a world beyond the estate that they live in”.
However, costs have increased “year on year” and the school has to source funding, “otherwise most of our P7s would not be able to go”.
The Brunstane submission states that “provision of funding for outdoor residential experience should be equitable for all and therefore provided by the Scottish government.”
There are 266 published responses to the bill, mostly from individuals.
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