General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 6 February 2025.
Jeremy Balfour
Conservative
I remind members that I am the convener of the cross-party group on funerals and bereavement.
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making bereavement education a formal part of the school syllabus. (S6O-04304)
The Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise (Natalie Don-Innes):
The curriculum for excellence includes health and wellbeing as one of three core areas that are the responsibility of all schools. Schools develop the curriculum to suit their local context and meet the needs of their pupils, which includes delivering learning on bereavement.
Education Scotland has developed teaching resources to raise awareness of childhood bereavement and the impact of adversity and trauma while helping to mitigate the effect of those experiences. Young Scot has also developed advice and resources for children who are dealing with bereavement. That work aligns with recommendations to improve support for children who are experiencing bereavement.
Jeremy Balfour
Conservative
Whether of a beloved relative or a pet guinea pig, all of us will face bereavement at some point. However, Cruse Scotland and other organisations have pointed out that there is still a lack of a core curriculum to help children learn how to deal with it. Will the Minister meet me, Cruse and other organisations to discuss how we can take that forward to benefit children across Scotland?
Natalie Don-Innes:
All children and young people who have experienced bereavement should be supported. As I have alluded to, and as Mr Balfour is aware, the curriculum for excellence is not a statutory curriculum but more a broad framework that is designed to give schools the flexibility that they require.
That being said, programmes are delivered in Scotland to support children and young people through grief and loss, such as the Seasons for Growth programme, whose core element is the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing after a loss.
We continue to work with Education Scotland to build on the work to date and to identify any gaps. I am aware of Cruse Scotland’s work in supporting children and young people, and I am happy to meet Mr Balfour to explore that further.
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Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
