Bill proposes to make residential outdoor education compulsory in Scotland

The Scottish Conservatives have launched a consultation on their Outdoor Education Bill, which proposes new legislation to ensure that all youngsters between 12-16 years old have the opportunity to experience at least one week of residential outdoor education.

The Bill is being launched by Scottish Conservative MSP Liz Smith, who was a schoolteacher before entering politics, and is passionate about the benefits of outdoor education.

Discussing the proposals, Liz Smith, said: “I firmly believe that residential outdoor education should be on offer to all young people. There is well-established and compelling evidence which shows just how much these experiences can increase self-esteem, self-reliance, confidence and resilience.

“They help young people to know what it means to be part of a team, to learn leadership skills and the importance of valuing friendship, and they connect them to the natural environment.

“After two years of harsh pandemic restrictions on our children, this is more important than ever.

“However, right now, many children from some of Scotland’s more deprived areas do not get the same opportunities as their counterparts elsewhere.

“This Bill would make residential outdoor education a key part of the curriculum – and extend the opportunity to all children, regardless of background.”

Gordonstoun, the Moray boarding school which inspired the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, supports a call for at least one week of residential outdoor education to be compulsory in all Scottish schools.
 
A formal consultation opened today on a Member’s Bill put forward by Liz Smith MSP which would place a requirement on all local authority and grant-aided schools to provide at least one week of residential outdoor education for all 12-16 year olds during their time at school.
 
Principal of Gordonstoun, Lisa Kerr, said: “Gordonstoun was an early pioneer of outdoor education and it remains a core part of our uniquely broad curriculum.  We see every day that, by challenging young people, we build confidence and resilience – character traits which help them for life.

“Research conducted by Edinburgh University on the lifelong impact of out-of-classroom experiences at Gordonstoun found that it had an overwhelmingly positive influence on our former students and helped them in their careers.
 
“We are lucky in Scotland to have easy access to incredible countryside and these experiences need not be expensive.  Camping in the Scottish wilderness can teach young people more about teamwork in one week than they would learn in a whole year in the classroom.”

The consultation period will run from Friday 29th April to Friday 22nd July 2022.