Young People and Families

Speech delivered on Thu 26th Oct 2006

I was incredulous as I listened to Robin Harper's description of the Executive's policies for children and young people. The challenge of enabling every young person to have opportunities in life, to fulfil his or her potential and to enrich our society is central to what I am in politics for. I believe that it is also central to the vision of the Scottish Parliament and of Scottish ministers. The Government has put children and young people at the top of its agenda, so this morning's debate is a timely opportunity to identify what we have achieved and where the continuing challenges lie.

Our vision for Scotland's young people is for all of them to be nurtured, safe, healthy, achieving, included, respected and responsible. We want them all to be confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens. There is an extent to which such phrases are a mantra that ministers repeat when necessary, but they arise from the national debate on education, and they strike chords with professionals, parents and young people and give direction and purpose to our programmes, policies and practice in support of children and young people.

Since 1999, we have made a difference for young people in numerous ways. In education, more than 12,000 newly qualified teachers have entered our schools since the introduction of the teacher induction scheme in 2002, and we are well on course to achieving our target of having 53,000 teachers in the workforce by next year, which is central to our ambitions for the system. That is to say nothing of the provision of a cadre of classroom assistants to support that teaching.

We have reformed and modernised our schools on an unparalleled scale since the launch of our "ambitious, excellent schools" programme two years ago, and we have begun the transformation of schools through our leadership and chartered teacher programmes and the establishment of 27 flagship schools of ambition, more of which will follow.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): There is concern about the facilities that young people can use. How does the minister feel about the public-private partnership contracts that lock young people out of schools and mean that they cannot take part in youth activities because the rents are too high?

Robert Brown: The truth is the opposite of that. PPP is a method of funding that takes into account the long-term usage of schools. It is one of a number of methods of funding capital expenditure that exist in our society. To a substantial extent, PPP has dealt with the neglect that followed the activities of the previous Administration. Throughout Scotland, many new schools have been built that would not have been provided without PPP. Young people have new opportunities both in school and out of school. They can learn a musical instrument or try different sports, for example through the club golf initiative. Moreover, young people and voluntary organisations have benefited from more than 800 volunteering places that Project Scotland has offered since May 2005.

We have not shirked the challenges and the difficult questions: we have developed a strategy that supports young people who are not in education, employment or training in making a success of their lives and we are taking action to improve the educational outcomes of looked-after young people and give them the chances that they deserve.

Through the local action fund, we have also provided £5 million for new facilities like skate parks, midnight football and youth cafes to keep young people away from crime. There are now 1,500 more support projects for young carers than in 1999.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): I do not want to take anything away from the many achievements that I am sure the minister will—given the chance—spend another four minutes listing. However, I wonder whether he will reply to the point behind our motion and my colleague Robin Harper's opening speech, which is about how the perception and stereotyping of young people can harm their place in society in the years to come.

Robert Brown: I am not entirely sure that the stereotype to which Mr Harvie refers has not, in fact, been enhanced by seeking to debate—as we are this morning—a motion that is based on a fallacy. I also point out that the Green motion is a policy-free zone that neither makes any suggestions nor provides any answers to the questions that Mr Harvie has raised.

The reality is that the Executive is doing positive things for young people. I wish sometimes that the Greens would acknowledge more than they have the extent to which policies for young people in Scotland have changed. We have introduced a massive programme of action.

Robin Harper: Will the minister give way?

Robert Brown: No. I have already taken two interventions.

Scotland is at the leading edge in empowering young people. We do not just talk about them: we talk to them, involve them and—most important—we listen to them. We engage with the Scottish Youth Parliament and support dialogue youth and Young Scot. Last summer, we hosted the inspirational world youth congress in Stirling, and our schools are enlivened by pupil councils and by groundbreaking peer mentoring and buddy schemes.

Next week, our consultation on the national youth work strategy will end. Many young people have contributed to it and have told us what is important to them. I have been impressed by their vision, passion and ideas and am determined that our youth-work strategy will be fully focused on delivering the best possible outcomes and opportunities for those young people.

High-quality informal learning activities let young people enjoy themselves as they develop confidence and skills, so a youth-work approach has succeeded in engaging many young people who might find more formal learning difficult, or who have had problems in the past. Some of the organisations that we support carry out excellent work in giving young people new opportunities and a brighter future.

We have provided more than £120 million to support community learning and development and youth work delivered through local authorities. We also provide funding for voluntary youth organisations' headquarters. As Mr Harper rightly acknowledged in his opening speech, the uniformed organisations and the voluntary youth-work sector in general do a tremendous job. This year, we have also allocated additional funding to improve facilities for young people.

This Scottish Government has made its commitment; it has put in place the structures, the funding and the programmes. We know that we rely on teachers, youth workers and others in the field to give life to our vision, but our commitment to and our ambition for young people are unlimited because they are our future. We welcome Parliament's support for our work and the chance to hear members' individual perspectives in the debate.

I move amendment S2M-4999.2, to leave out from "that children and young people" to end and insert:

"the vital importance of all young people being able to fulfil their potential; pays tribute to the contribution young people across Scotland make to their families and communities; knows the importance of the family in providing support and guidance for young people; welcomes the fact that child poverty has been reduced by over a quarter in Scotland, that the Scottish Executive has introduced universal nursery education for all three to four-year-olds, that the Executive has seen record levels of investment in schools and teachers, that more of our young people are going on to higher and further education, that youth unemployment is at a record low and that more parents are in work and have access to support and childcare; recognises further that some parents require extra support to bring up children, that decent families and young people need to be safe and protected in their homes and communities, that young people supported by and having access to good quality youth work opportunities have an important role to play in improving their communities, and reiterates the determination of this Parliament to stand up to antisocial behaviour, to end child poverty and to provide every child and young person with the best possible start in life."

To read the full debate click on the link below

Related Link:

Young People and Families.