THERE is nothing guaranteed to raise Scottish hackles more than being lectured by an English Tory minister, especially an education secretary who is clearly in need of some education himself.
For there was UK Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi speaking yesterday morning, warning children not to play truant to attend the climate action march in Glasgow led by Greta Thurnberg and organised by Fridays for Future Scotland.
Asked on Times Radio whether he has been invited to join them, Zahawi said: “No, I’m ... I have to say, I wish they were doing it on a Saturday and a Sunday, not in school time.”
His next words were nothing short of sinister: “I’d hate to get into a situation where headteachers are having to fine families and students.”
READ MORE: Education Secretary tells pupils not to miss school to protest about climate
Those fines start at £60 and can increase to £2500 for repeated offences and possible jail terms for parents of up to three months.
The National has news for you Mr Zahawi – the majority of the young people who took part in yesterday’s march were Scottish, and your domain as Education Secretary stops at the Border.
If he would care to brush up on his no doubt beloved Union, Zahawi would see that Scotland has separate legal and educational systems that were never abolished by the Union or any subsequent UK Government.
In other words, Zahawi cannot threaten any Scottish school students who attend marches in Glasgow during COP26, not least because Scotland’s largest local authority, Glasgow City Council has said schoolchildren will not be punished.
He can and did threaten English young people, with the backing of his boss, the Prime Minister. Downing Street said young people missing school to attend the demonstration is “extremely disruptive at a time when the pandemic has already had a huge impact on their learning”.
Zahawi was in Glasgow to announce that England’s young people will be empowered to take action on the environment as part of new measures designed to put climate change at the heart of education.
According to his department: “Teachers will be supported to deliver world-leading climate change education through a model science curriculum, which will be in place by 2023, to teach children about nature and their impact on the world around them.”
However, his heavy-handedness and being just plain wrong about Scottish law and education marred what might have been a positive message for young people in England.
READ MORE: Thousands of young people join climate strike through Glasgow
For the record, Glasgow and other local authorities have simply asked that parents let schools know if their children are going to be absent.
North Lanarkshire Council said: “Tackling climate change is a subject on everyone’s lips just now with Glasgow hosting COP26. While we encourage pupils to take an active interest current and world affairs, it is important they attend school as often as possible.
“Our attendance procedures apply throughout term time and any decision about taking time off school is a matter for their parents and carers to decide upon.”
A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said: “We take a proactive approach through our schools and educational establishments, to promote democracy and support young people to become politically literate.”
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