The Scottish Parliament’s MSPs in Schools programme has been re-launched, with bookings being taken from today for visits to Scottish schools to run from September to next June.

The free programme is designed not only to teach children about the Scottish Parliament, but to give them a chance to meet their MSPs and take the opportunity to present their own ideas on the issues that most affect them. In the last programme, for 2006-07, over 6,000 pupils at 100 schools were visited by MSPs, including Presiding Officer George Reid visiting Fossoway Primary School to witness a mini election.

Reid said at the visit: “This is an extremely valuable and worthwhile project, and all the young people I have spoken too are passionately interested in politics and the world around them.

“Events like these give pupils the opportunity to not only learn about their parliament, but also gain a greater understanding of how they can play a real part in the political process.”

The programme started in 2005 to strengthen the links between schools, young people and the Scottish Parliament, and since then MSPs have visited schools in 30 out of 32 local authorities. In 2005-06, 58 schools and 95 classes took part, with 70 MSPs making 143 visits. In 2006-07, 105 schools and 225 classes were visited, with 77 out of 129 MSPs taking part.

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