The SSTA today called for Scottish Government to provide specific funding to encourage schools to have a co-ordinated programme of school visits to places of Scottish cultural and historical interest.

Alan McKenzie Acting General Secretary, said today “Many schools do this on a regular basis but rely on parents agreeing to meet the whole cost.  Clearly in the present economic climate, parents will struggle to meet that cost.  There is a funding source to allow selected pupils from each Scottish secondary school to visit Auschwitz.  This is a worthwhile spending.  However, we should like to see the funding extended to key sites in Scotland.  For example the site of the Battle of Culloden is worthy of a systematic programme of visits, the battle presaging the practice of an episode of genocide in our own nation.  Given the nature of Curriculum for Excellence it would seem appropriate to encourage our young people to sample such important historical and cultural sites in Scotland.”

For further information contact:-

Alan McKenzie

Acting General Secretary

0131 313 7300