Report to the People
1st September 2003
On
Equal Terms
I'm
all set for the new Parliamentary term.
The shirts are ironed, the trousers have been pressed and the new shoes
have been broken in.
As
I’ve been getting ready for the resumption of business on the Mound tomorrow,
I’ve been thinking about Jack McConnell’s challenge to Scotland’s school
pupils. They should make this, he
told them, their best year ever.
Sound
advice. But in my opinion it’s
only fair that, if our young people rise to this challenge, MSPs should do
likewise. Because this year, if I
can borrow a classroom cliché, is going to be our most important yet.
We have, as you know, much work to get through - work which, if we get it
right, will radically change the lives of our young people for the better.
Take
the proposed new legislation on antisocial behaviour, which Telegraph
readers are already helping shape. One
of the key beneficiaries these new laws will be the decent young people who are
disproportionately affected by street violence. When they talk to me about how they can’t walk to
visit a friend or use community facilities in their own area, the one thing they
tell me to do is “something about the neds.”
The
Parliament also remains determined to give young people warm, safe,
state-of-the-art classrooms in which to learn and so will continue apace with
the school building and refurbishment programme.
As it sadly still looks as if Inverclyde Council is determined to opt out
of this process, a major struggle in this coming term will be to press all those
involved into recognising that Inverclyde’s children cannot be left lagging
behind.
Finally,
there’s no point in us urging school pupils to put everything into their
school work this year if they cannot be confident of reaping the benefits.
That’s why the Parliament is looking to boost school students’ job
prospects and make them ready for the world of work by, for example, expanding
the number of schools involved in enterprise education from 10% to 100%.
So if you’re just a few weeks in to your new school term, here’s the deal. You do your best to make the most of this year, and we will do our best to make sure your hard work is rewarded. Sound fair?
Back to Current Reports to the People
[ HOME ] [ News ] [ Report to the People ] [ Interact ] [ Links ] [ E-Mail ]
[ Copyright ] [ UK Online ] [ Scottish Parliament ]