The Education Recovery Youth Panel, delivered by Young Scot in partnership with Children in Scotland, was created in November 2020. The Panel is supporting the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Education Recovery Group – as a successor to the earlier Scottish Learner Panel project.
You can read the full report here.
The aim:
Embed the voices of young people from a range of backgrounds and experiences in the decision-making around education recovery from COVID-19.
Gain insight into learning experiences and shifting priorities for the learners throughout the pandemic and suggestions for change in the medium-long term recovery period.
Use our #YSHive model to allow young people to share their experiences, lead the conversations, develop their own ideas, and drive change as part of decision-making.
Panel members:
It’s essential that young people most affected by the pandemic are represented and can be part of decision-making going forward. As such, the Panel includes:
Children and young people from 9-18-years-old
Young people with additional or complex support needs
Young people from a variety of backgrounds and communities
Young people across 15 Local Authority areas
Alongside the Panel, we have been working with the Scottish Youth Parliament and linking up with Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) sitting on the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Education Recovery Group. The MSYPs are ensuring that the views and insights of the Panel are represented as part of the ongoing discussions around education recovery.
The Panel’s work so far:
Engaged directly with decision-makers, including the Deputy First Minister (DFM) in December, about alternative qualifications models for higher courses. The panel influenced decision making around this year's higher exam diet.
Attended a session with DFM in February, presenting questions to DFM and sharing their current experiences to highlight what’s most important to their learning.
Engaged with Education Scotland and shared their experiences of remote learning.
Taking part in regular sessions, providing Panel members with the chance to reflect on their current experiences, whilst supporting decision-makers to map out priority areas and identify next steps in future-proofing their learning experience.