Posted: Monday 19 September 2011
Question Time at Hutchesons'
Our new Talking Points writers Lara Gilmour and Lawrie Carlaw of S6 report on a Question Time session with a difference:
Friday 9th September saw Hutchesons' Grammar School's hosting of Question Time, involving members of Scottish politics and their chairman Reevel Alderson, BBC Scotland's correspondent for home affairs. The week's Talking Points session invited 6th year to ask topical questions to their political representatives in the hope of receiving a straight answer, which many believe to be a cumbersome task.
From the SNP we had Nicola Sturgeon, deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy in Holyrood, who was up against two opposition Members of the Scottish Parliament and Glasgow City Council's Liberal Democrat leader Paul Coleshill. Ken Macintosh MSP, who has just announced his bid for the Scottish Labour leadership was present as well as Jackson Carlaw MSP, who has also declared his bid to be a party leader, but of the Scottish Conservatives.
The first question, from Government and Political Studies student Fraser Watt, was on a topic which lay on the mind of all in the room; education. Each politician took their turn answering whether or not they thought free tuition fees were sustainable, yet all the responses were fairly hesitant. Scott Meenan then followed with an accusation that the government should at least acknowledge some degree of consent that releasing the Libyan captive, Al Megrahi, was a poor decision. However all of the members of the panel agreed that it was a single decision of Kenny MacAskill, and not a government one, although Sturgeon's personal stance differed from the rest.
Things started to "kick off" when a question was asked regarding independence, as it is obviously a very current and active topic. A heated debate began when Jackson Carlaw and Ken Macintosh presented their pro-union beliefs to Miss Sturgeon, who was of the opposite opinion. The whole panel became involved in the discussion which led to an almost tangible "buzz" in the auditorium, which I believe was the greatest point of the hour, as the pupils and teachers were all at the edge of their seats, with as varying opinions as the panel.
Unfortunately, however, the hour came to an end around this point, and the debate was closed. This was not that last opportunity to learn from the politicians though, as those studying politics were invited to lunch with them in the Founders' room. It is no exaggeration to say that each of the politicians was completely surrounded by interested pupils who had their own questions to ask. I think this was a great opportunity to become, or remain, connected to the world of current affairs, and to gain some first-hand experience of what the elected representatives are expected to do and I know that many pupils were so inspired that they have since-then arranged for work experience with the politicians, who were more than happy to agree. We send our thanks to them, as they sacrificed precious constituent and parliament time to take part, and we hope to see them again.