12.11.2015
Dunfermline is to host the Scottish Parliament for a day as the town becomes the focus for Parliament Day on Monday 7 December.
Parliament Day brings the Parliament out of Edinburgh and into the heart of different communities to meet local people and hear about the issues that matter to them.
The day will see the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, the Rt Hon Tricia Marwick MSP hold a series of visits and events. The Education and Culture Committee will also hold an external meeting where it will quiz the Cabinet Secretary for Education and scrutinise the Education (Scotland) Bill, which aims to help raise attainment for all children.
The Presiding Officer said:
“The Scottish Parliament serves people across Scotland so we need to visit local communities and meet local people to hear first-hand about the issues that really matter to them.
“We all know that Dunfermline is a historic town with a rich culture and heritage. But as a lifelong Fifer myself, I also know how passionate the people of Dunfermline are about the issues that matter to them and I am really looking forward to hearing what they have to say.”
The Presiding Officer will be joined by the local constituency MSP Cara Hilton MSP. She said:
“For too many people the work of the Scottish Parliament can seem distant and disconnected to their daily lives. However, I know enthusiastic people from Dunfermline can be. By bringing the Parliament to the people it will demonstrate that the work it does is relevant and that ordinary people - people like you - can get involved.”
As part of Parliament Day Dunfermline, the Parliament will also hold a ‘Your Scottish Parliament’ event at Carnergie Conference Centre on Saturday 5 December. This free half day conference is a chance for people to learn more about the Scottish Parliament and how they can get involved and raise issues that matter to them. As part of the day delegates will have the opportunity to engage with a number of MSPs and meet with Parliament staff.
Background
Parliament Day Dunfermline is the latest in a series of events which has seen the work of the Parliament taken to communities across Scotland, from Orkney to Dumfries.
As part of Parliament Day Dunfermline, a conference will take place at the Carnegie Conference Centre, giving people more information about how they can have their voice heard at the Scottish Parliament.
Read more information about the day, and the conference.
The Education (Scotland) Bill was introduced in March 2015 and contains a number of measures. These include measures to
- Promote equity of attainment for disadvantaged children and take steps towards narrowing the attainment gap.
- Place a duty on education authorities both to assess the need for Gaelic medium primary education following a parental request and to actively promote and support Gaelic medium education (GME).
The Scottish Government intends to lodge two sets of amendments to the Bill at Stage 2, on Standard of Headship and the National Improvement Framework which will introduce new national standardised assessments for children in primaries 1, 4, 7 and in S3.
Read about the Committee’s consideration of the Bill.