We come to the last of our continued petitions today, PE1991, which was also lodged by Gemma Clark. It calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to work with Education Scotland to develop a health-focused and stigma-challenging educational resource on abortion and to make that available to all secondary schools in Scotland.
We last considered the petition on 22 February, when we agreed to write to stakeholder organisations. The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, the General Teaching Council for Scotland, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, COSLA, the Scottish Catholic Education Service and the petitioner have submitted responses, copies which were circulated with our meeting papers.
I draw members’ attention to the responses from COSLA and ADES, which note that materials linked to the ask of the petition are available and that work is already taking place in schools to deal with the issues that it raises. COSLA also states that the curriculum for excellence allows teachers, schools and local authorities to design a curriculum that fits their own context, the result of which is that there is no mechanism whereby all schools can be compelled to use any specific materials. Similarly, the response from the Scottish Catholic Education Service notes the availability of resources and advice for young people, and highlights the fact that schools are not the sole providers of education and that the close partnership between schools and the wider school community serves young people well in ensuring that they have access to qualified expertise relating to health and to social, physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing.
In view of the responses that we have received, do members have any comments or suggestions?
