16/03/2010
Pupils from Waid Academy in Anstruther made a big impression on the Public Petitions Committee yesterday when they presented their petitions to the visiting MSPs. The committee held its meeting at the Fife school as part of a series of external meetings across Scotland.
Pupils Paul Dryburgh, 16, and Ellen Cummings, 17, took the opportunity of having a visiting parliamentary committee in their school hall, to highlight the issue of rights for school-age workers, in particular working hours and fair distribution of tips.
Ellen said: “We realise that employment law is a matter for the UK government, but this is a child-welfare issue and both employers and school workers seem to be ignorant of the laws surrounding under-16s employment.”
Paul added: “I know of friends who have worked a 13-hour shift with only a 20-minute break all day. The situation is complicated because each local authority has different by-laws on working hours for under-16s.”
The Public Petitions Committee decided to ask for responses on the issues raised by Ellen and Paul from:
- the Low Pay Commission
- Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People
- STUC
- Scottish Youth Parliament
- the British Hospitality Association
- the Federation of Small Business.
Fifth-year pupils Ronan Buist, Megan Lumsden and Daniel Swaddle also presented their petition on free access to public leisure facilities for all children to the committee. The committee will write to the Scottish Government, sportscotland, a selection of local authorities and community health partnerships, and the Scottish Youth Parliament for their responses on the matter.
Committee Convener Frank McAveety MSP said: “This was the first time a parliamentary committee had met in Anstruther and we hope that the Waid Academy students realised that they really can make a difference to their parliament by engaging with the Public Petitions Committee.
"The issues they raised today are pertinent to many Scottish pupils and we look forward to working with them on their petitions. We had a great reception from the school and all the pupils from Waid Academy and Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes who took part in our ‘Question Time’ session when they quizzed us on a number of issues.”
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