Issues

A non-exhaustive list of issues raised during the development of SNAP 2 includes:

• Children and young people’s education is a priority policy issue, and numerous organisations and individuals are working on a broad range of improvements, however there are several ongoing problems. SNAP 2 can help fill gaps, including where education is not well understood as a human rights issue. Given the breadth of concerns and other work in progress, a phased approach is needed to ensure SNAP 2 activity is properly targeted, resourced and robust, and to avoid duplicating other plans or simply skimming the surface.
• Evidence shows that the right to education through the life course is not yet fully respected, protected and fulfilled, and that this right is particularly at risk for some people. However, there is a lack of disaggregated equality and human rights data and analysis that would identify the particular barriers faced by different people and the targeted activity needed to improve policy and practice.
• Girls experience sexualised bullying and sexual assault within school settings, which seriously infringes their rights to education and to be free from violence and abuse, amongst others. Equally Safe at School (ESS) is a positive, whole school approach developed by Rape Crisis Scotland and Zero Tolerance that tackles gender based violence. There are free, online resources readily available for any school to use, however because it is voluntary not all schools have implemented ESS.
• Some people disproportionately experience discrimination and inequality in access to good work, resulting in unequal pay and conditions, insecure work, and in-work poverty, amongst other infringements of their rights. Action is required to inform, influence and help improve employment policy and practice so that work is understood as a human rights issue, the right is progressively realised, and to identify and prioritise those whose right to work is most at risk.
• The stigma, discrimination, bullying and hate crime faced by transgender, non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming people negatively impacts their rights to education and to work. More action is needed to work with rights holders to identify barriers and create tailored measures to overcome them.

Actions

• Carry out a phased human rights review of Scottish education, focusing on the rights of all children and young people to: (a) experience positive mental health and wellbeing in academic settings; (b) be supported to develop their full potential through a wide range of learning opportunities (including practical, experiential, cultural, technical, and outdoor learning); and (c) participate in decisions that affect them and have their voices heard.
• Carry out a phased human rights review to better understand the barriers to education and learning faced by those experiencing discrimination and disadvantage. Use the findings and recommendations to inform, improve and support the implementation of rights-based practice across education and learning from early years to later life.
• To better respect, protect and fulfil the right to work, carry out a human rights review of people’s experiences and develop a best practice workers’ rights framework. Particular focus on people who experience the greatest barriers to realising their right to work, including disabled people including people with learning disabilities and autistic people, care experienced people, minority ethnic people, lone parents, women, LGBTQIA+ people, older people, and unpaid carers.
• Deliver and complete Equally Safe at School at every secondary school in Scotland in order to better understand, reduce and prevent sexualised harassment, bullying and sexual assault on girls and its negative impact on their right to education.
• Put into place proactive measures to address the barriers faced by transgender, non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming people in education and employment, to enable their full participation and the ability to live freely and independently.

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