Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales has been sharing his ideas about the benefits of outdoor education for young people.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, whose Outdoor Education Bill was recently passed by the Welsh Parliament, met with a Member of the Scottish Parliament and leading figures of the Scottish outdoor education sector to discuss the issue.
He said:
I was delighted to visit Scotland and have the opportunity to meet with Liz Smith MSP and other leading figures involved in the outdoor education sector in Scotland. It was great to hear that they share my values and have proposals for a similar bill.
I passionately believe outdoor education is extremely beneficial to those in education, with a whole range of lasting benefits, yet sadly, too many of our young people do not get the opportunity to participate.
I was very pleased last month when fellow MSs voted to approve my Outdoor Education Bill and I now look forward to making sure it becomes a reality. Its aim is to move residential outdoor education from an enrichment activity to an entitlement within Wales’ curriculum.
The Welsh Government’s own research has recently stated that outdoor education has well established benefits for children and young people in their physical and mental health and well-being, personal and social learning, cognitive development, and understanding their place in the world.
It is also clear that the Bill has potential to deliver cost savings to other public services through improved health, wellbeing and education outcomes, an opportunity which should not be missed.
Liz Smith MSP said:
I firmly believe that residential outdoor education should be on offer to all young people. There is well-established and compelling evidence which shows just how much these experiences can increase self-esteem, self-reliance, confidence and resilience.
They help young people to know what it means to be part of a team, to learn leadership skills and the importance of valuing friendship, and they connect them to the natural environment.
Bearing in mind the impact of the pandemic on young people, when there is growing national concern about young people’s physical and mental wellbeing, the benefits of residential outdoor education cannot be overstated.
Furthermore, the fact that many children from some of the more deprived areas do not get the same opportunities as their counterparts elsewhere, residential outdoor education should be a key part of the curriculum.
I was delighted to welcome Sam to the Scottish Parliament for a very productive meeting discussing the contents and sharing ideas for our proposed bills. We both passionately share the vision of universal entitlement to outdoor education across Scotland and Wales.
Sam Rowlands yn ymweld â Senedd yr Alban i drafod addysg awyr agored
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr AS dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi bod yn rhannu ei syniadau am fanteision addysg awyr agored i bobl ifanc.
Bu Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros Lywodraeth Leol, y pasiodd Senedd Cymru ei Fil Addysg Awyr Agored yn ddiweddar, yn cyfarfod ag Aelod o Senedd yr Alban ac unigolion blaenllaw o sector addysg awyr agored yr Alban i drafod y mater.
Dywedodd:
Ro’n i’n falch o ymweld â’r Alban a chael y cyfle i gyfarfod â Liz Smith ASA ac unigolion blaenllaw eraill o sector addysg awyr agored yr Alban. Roedd hi’n wych clywed eu bod yn rhannu fy ngwerthoedd a bod ganddynt gynlluniau am fil tebyg.
Rwy’n credu’n gryf bod addysg awyr agored yn fuddiol iawn i’r rhai mewn addysg, gydag amrywiaeth eang o fanteision hirdymor, ond yn anffodus, nid yw llawer o’n pobl ifanc yn cael y cyfle i gymryd rhan.
Ro’n i’n falch iawn pan bleidleisiodd fy nghyd-aelodau yn y Senedd i gymeradwyo fy Mil Addysg Awyr Agored fis diwethaf ac rydw i nawr yn edrych ymlaen at sicrhau ei fod yn cael ei wireddu. Ei nod yw symud addysg awyr agored preswyl o fod yn weithgarwch cyfoethogi i fod yn hawl o fewn y cwricwlwm i Gymru.
Yn ddiweddar, nododd ymchwil gan Lywodraeth Cymru fod gan addysg awyr agored fanteision sydd wedi hen ennill eu plwyf i blant a phobl ifanc o ran eu hiechyd a’u lles corfforol a meddyliol, eu dysgu personol a chymdeithasol, eu datblygiad gwybyddol, ac o ran eu dealltwriaeth o’u lle yn y byd.
Mae hefyd yn glir bod gan y Bil botensial i sicrhau arbedion costau i wasanaethau cyhoeddus eraill yn sgil deilliannau iechyd, lles ac addysg gwell, cyfle na ddylid ei golli.
Meddai Liz Smith ASA:
Rwy’n credu’n gryf y dylai addysg awyr agored fod ar gael i bob person ifanc. Mae yna dystiolaeth gadarn a chymhellgar sy’n dangos cymaint y gall y profiadau hyn gynyddu hunan-barch, hunanddibyniaeth, hyder a gwydnwch.
Maen nhw’n helpu pobl ifanc i ddeall ystyr bod yn rhan o dîm, i ddysgu sgiliau arwain a phwysigrwydd gwerthfawrogi cyfeillgarwch, ac maen nhw’n eu cysylltu â’r amgylchedd naturiol.
O gofio effaith y pandemig ar bobl ifanc, pan mae yna bryder cenedlaethol cynyddol am les corfforol a meddyliol pobl ifanc, ni ellir gorbwysleisio manteision addysg awyr agored preswyl.
Ymhellach, does dim cymaint o blant o rai o’r ardaloedd mwy difreintiedig yn cael yr un cyfleoedd â’u cyfoedion mewn ardaloedd eraill, felly dylai addysg awyr agored preswyl fod yn rhan allweddol o’r cwricwlwm.
Ro’n i’n falch o groesawu Sam i Senedd yr Alban am gyfarfod cynhyrchiol iawn i drafod cynnwys a rhannu syniadau ar gyfer ein biliau arfaethedig. Rydyn ni’n dau yn rhannu’r un weledigaeth o hawl gyffredinol i addysg awyr agored ledled yr Alban a Chymru.
