Dundee MSYP Involved in UK Campaign for a Curriculum for Life

Daniel Coleman, Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) for Dundee West, was at the UK Westminster parliament in mid March for a meeting of the Youth Select Committee. This new body mirrors the UK Parliament Select Committee structure and gives young people the opportunity to scrutinise and hold enquiries into topics they're interested in. On 18th March they discussed their topic for 2013, 'Education for Life'.

It is very positive that Dundee and Scotland should be represented by Dundee West MSYP Daniel Coleman on the UK wide Youth Select Committee on ‘Education for Life’.

While Education is a devolved to the Scottish Parliament, it seems clear that this inquiry in London also has relevance in Dundee. At the AGM of the Dundee Youth Council on Thursday 28 March, Daniel was elected as the Chair of the Dundee Youth Council for 2013/14. He spoke at the AGM about his involvement in the new Select Committee. He drew links to the results of the survey of over 4000 young people by the Dundee Youth Council which also revealed some concerns with the curriculum in our secondary schools. For example, while young people in Dundee think they are prepared to pass exams, they believe that:

 'they require more support to develop the knowledge and understanding of the day to day financial decision making they will face once they leave home.' (Dundee Youth Manifesto 2013).

I look forward to more opportunities for meetings with Daniel and members of the Dundee Youth Council to listen to their wider list of concerns and aspirations for education in Dundee and to explore ways to help make that happen in our nine Secondary schools in Dundee.