‘A Student Guarantee for Scotland’ outlines various policies to address mental health, rising debt and poverty among students.
The National Union of Students (NUS) in Scotland has unveiled its manifesto of student demands for the upcoming Scottish Parliamentary election. Titled “A Student Guarantee for Scotland”, the manifesto outlines various policies to help combat the “exposed” mental health crisis facing students, as well as rising debt and poverty amongst those studying, calling for education to be at the heart of the Covid-19 recovery.
Their flagship policy calls for the introduction of an “Education Leaver Guarantee” for all students to ensure graduates and apprentices have a positive destination when leaving higher education, regardless of age.
Other key policies outlined include a mental health action plan for students to tackle the mental health crisis and the addressing of increased waiting times students face when seeking support. Additional policies include increasing financial provision to enable students to keep up with the costs of learning, and the introduction of rent controls to stop “exorbitant rent hikes student tenants face”.
The manifesto also calls for continued membership of Erasmus+, concessionary bus travel for students and apprentices, and additional plans to tackle gender-based violence in education, among other important issues facing students.
Matt Crilly, president of NUS Scotland, stated: “This is undoubtedly the most important election of our lives. For the last year students’ have faced untold disruption to their studies, wellbeing and their lives as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They have told us, loud and clear, that inequalities simply cannot continue in our education system.”
To read NUS Scotland’s student demands, click here.
