That the Parliament understands with concern that a recent report found a huge drop in outdoor learning provision in Scotland; further understands that the study, by the University of Stirling, found that school pupils in Scotland received just seven minutes per week of outdoor learning in 2022, which is far less than previously offered, and, it believes, is significantly less than other European nations, including Norway and Denmark; notes the distinct benefits it considers that outdoor learning provides students; expresses its alarm that it is young people from the most deprived backgrounds who reportedly have borne the worst effects from this backwards trend; echoes the calls of the report, and, it believes, of teachers and pupils, for outdoor learning, including residential trips, to be embedded in the curriculum at all levels of education in Scotland; welcomes what it considers has been the modest increase in outdoor learning at early years centres, but calls for the decline in provision at school level to be reversed and for the Parliament to make progress on the Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill, which, it believes, would give all young people in Scotland the entitlement to one week of residential outdoor education during their time at school.
Supported by:
Jeremy Balfour, Miles Briggs, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Tim Eagle, Annabelle Ewing, Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Meghan Gallacher, Dr Pam Gosal MBE, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, Craig Hoy, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Liam McArthur, Roz McCall, Carol Mochan, Edward Mountain, Douglas Ross, Alex Rowley, Alexander Stewart, Paul Sweeney, Annie Wells, Tess White, Elena Whitham, Brian Whittle