South Ayrshire MSP Sharon Dowey has hit out at the SNP Government over their decision to not automatically provide every primary school child in the area with a copy of a special book marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Books were offered to every school in the UK, with those in England being automatically provided with the books. Meanwhile in Scotland, the SNP government chose to block the move, saying schools would have to opt-in.
Sharon has discovered that schools in South Ayrshire weren’t even being made aware of the books by the then-SNP-led administration, prompting concerns that schoolchildren would miss out.
The books tell the story of a young girl, Isabella, visiting her Great Granny Joyce who tells her about the Queen and this year’s Jubilee. It also contains famous quotes from the Queen, facts on the coronation ceremony, content on the lives of famous Commonwealth figures such as Nelson Mandela, notable kings and queens, and a timeline of Queen Elizabeth’s life.
Since Sharon’s intervention, all but ten schools were able to get the books and the MSP is
working with the Department of Education to try and resolve the issue for the final ten schools.
Commenting, Sharon Dowey MSP said:
“Last week marked the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and up and down the UK we saw people joining in the celebrations, none more so than the First Minister, who enjoyed a front-row seat in London along with full royal hospitality.
“Sadly, kids in South Ayrshire haven’t been afforded the same opportunity to get involved with the festivities. Pupils across the UK were offered these books but thanks to the SNP’s lukewarm response to the Jubilee, schools in South Ayrshire weren’t even given the chance to opt-in.
“I’ve now found 10 schools who, it turns out, did want the books just the SNP never bothered to ask them. Hopefully, now we can resolve this situation and I will be raising this in the Scottish Parliament as soon as possible in case children in other parts of Scotland have also missed out.”