Scottish Friends back petition
Public petition raises concerns about visits by the armed forces to schools
Quakers in Scotland and ForcesWatch presented a petition to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 15 September calling for greater scrutiny, guidance and consultation on the visits of armed forces to schools in Scotland.
The public petition, lodged jointly by ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland, has more than 1000 signatories.
Over four-fifths of state secondary schools in Scotland were visited by the armed forces in a two-year period, according to a 2014 ForcesWatch report.
The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament Education and Culture Committee to hold an inquiry into armed forces visits and for the Scottish government and local authorities to: produce guidelines for local authorities and schools to follow; increase scrutiny and monitoring of armed forces visits to schools, particularly those located in areas of deprivation; and ensure that schools always consult parents/guardians.
Mairi Campbell-Jack, Scottish parliamentary engagement officer for Quakers in Britain, says: ‘This issue needs scrutiny and public debate by all in Scottish society, especially parents and children themselves.’
