Tuesday January 20th 2026
Hamish beside speaker Niel Deepnarain at a Unite For Education Rally on 17 Jan 2026
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A Berwickshire-based advocate for upholding the role of parental choice in education has added his voice against legislation currently passing through the UK Parliament.
Scottish Family Party chairman Hamish Goldie-Scot and others from as afar afield as Aberdeen joined a ‘Family Rally for Educational Freedom’ outside the Scottish Parliament last weekend.
Under the slogan ‘Yes to Children’s Wellbeing, No to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’, this highlighted concerns about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Introduced in late 2024, the proposed bill aims to improve children’s social care and educational standards across England. However, it will also introduce new requirements for schools and public authorities.
Home-educators claim they are unfairly targeted by the bill which proposes that local authorities can make decisions in a child’s ‘best interests’ without court intervention.
On the same day as the Holyrood rally, a march and rally took place in central London against the proposed legislation.
In Scotland, Green MSP Ross Greer has tabled amendments to Holyrood’s Schools Bill that largely mirror the requirements for home educators in the UK Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Mr Goldie-Scot, from Abbey St Bathans, said: “Both use the language of children’s rights and child protection to justify government overreach in interfering in how parents choose to bring up their children.
“Saturday’s Family Rally was organised by Unite for Education, a grass-roots movement supporting parents, teachers, and home educators across Scotland who want to see education shaped around Christian values and greater parental choice.
“As such, it chimes with the Scottish Family polices related to education. These stress that parents, including those from any faith group and none, should have primary authority over decisions about their children’s upbringing education and well-being.”
The Scottish bill is currently at Stage 3 of the legislative process, although the amendments tabled by Mr Greer are still in Stage 2.
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