Latest News – Martin Whitfield MSP
Welcome to Your Vote Week
Welcome to Your Vote Week, the annual campaign encouraging schools and youth groups to join in celebrating democracy by delivering democratic education with their students and young people, is taking place from Monday 29 January to Sunday 4 February. Run by the Electoral Commission every January, the campaign provides a range of resources for educators, youth groups and young people themselves to engage on how to cast their vote and what elections they can participate in. Martin Whitfield MSP said: "It's really important young people have opportunities to learn about voting and democracy so they have confidence in casting their [...]
Take part in #LoveScotlandsColleges campaign
Martin Whitfield MSP has welcomed the return of the #LoveScotlandsColleges campaign, which aims to celebrate the outstanding innovation, hard work and best practice that takes place across the college sector every day. Organised by the CDN Marketing and Communications Network, the collaborative campaign launches on Monday 12 February 2024. The week-long digital campaign will highlight the importance and strength of Scotland’s colleges, promoting examples, both national and local, of how they support students, the economy, businesses, communities and staff. The campaign encourages all college staff, politicians, businesses, local communities and stakeholders to get involved with the campaign on social media [...]
Marking Holocaust Memorial Day 2024
Saturday 27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day, the annual international day for the world to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), the charity established to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK, organises national ceremonies as well as supporting community organisations to hold more than 10,000 commemorative activities across the UK. The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 is Fragility of Freedom and Martin Whitfield MSP is encouraging schools and other organisations to consider how [...]
Standing up for quality education
This week Martin Whitfield MSP made the closing speech in a Scottish Labour led debate on education highlighting the challenges it is facing and demanding a fresh approach from government to deliver quality education. During his speech Mr Whitfield urged the Scottish Government to face up to the challenges and problems currently being experienced in Scotland's education system. He also asked the Cabinet Secretary to properly listen to and engage with those working in education and provide a timetable to parliament for when changes will actually be implemented to improve education. Speaking after the debate, Martin Whitfield MSP said: "We [...]
Get involved in Time to Talk Day
Time to Talk Day, the nation’s biggest mental health conversation, is taking place on Thursday 1st February and Martin Whitfield MSP is urging people to get involved. Organised in Scotland by See Me, in partnership with Co-op, it is a day that friends, families, communities, and workplaces can come together to talk, listen and change lives. For this year's Time to Talk Day, the organisers are encouraging the people of Scotland to have more honest conversations about how we are feeling to help combat the stigma that still exists around mental health. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘what [...]
Teaching profession roundtable event
Martin Whitfield MSP has joined parliamentary colleagues at a roundtable discussion and networking event hosted by the General Teaching Council for Scotland. The discussion involved GTCS representatives briefing MSPs with an interest in the education portfolio and in teaching standards on how the regulatory body creates the conditions for trusted teaching to be at the heart of education. It also provided an opportunity for MSPs to better understand GTCS's statutory role and the unique perspective it has to contribute to national discussions on education and supporting evidence-based decision-making on public policy. Speaking after the event, Martin Whitfield MSP said: "As [...]