School welcome bag still uncosted as ministers insist it will be value for money
Civil servants had warned a Welcome To School backpack would be expensive but education secretary Mairi McAllan insisted the bags will be effective
Education secretary Mairi McAllan has insisted the SNP’s Welcome to School Bag will be value for money.
Despite the key manifesto pledge remaining uncosted, Ms McAllan said there was “no greater investment” than helping children “achieve in life”.
Around 47,000 pupils starting P1 next year will be the first to receive the new backpack containing stationery and a water bottle.
The Scottish government announced procurement is underway following engagement with children and families on the design and content.
While Ms McAllan said the bags will be high quality, durable and made with recycled materials, there is as yet no cost for freebie.
A government spokesman confirmed the school bag materials will be “coming from overseas but will be assembled in Scotland”.
“Details of this will be confirmed soon,” he added.
Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman, Meghan Gallacher MSP said: “The SNP have been in charge of Scottish education for nearly two decades, yet they are launching a flagship policy without even knowing what it will cost taxpayers.
“John Swinney made the promise, grabbed the headlines and now the small print admits the bill won’t be known until after the procurement process.
“That is not responsible government - it is headline-chasing first and counting the cost later.”
Parents will be able to refuse the bags, which will then be kept for the following year’s cohort.
Speaking as she met children at Orbiston Community Hub in North Lanarkshire, the minister said: “I would say there's no greater investment to be made than in a series of measures to support children to achieve everything they can in life and to feel like they're starting school on an equal footing with everyone else.
“The SNP has pursued universalism in this regard in many ways and for me, the equalising nature of this policy is important.”
The Scotsman told earlier this month how internal government documents showed civil servants raising concerns over the cost of backpacks.
They suggested a tote bag or a merger with the existing Bookbug bag scheme would be more cost effective for the taxpayer.
Advisors further noted that most families will already own the items suggested as contents in the bags.
However, Ms McAllan insisted backpacks would be used.
User testing of the bags will take place in the autumn and this will inform the final design, contents, and colour options.
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The cabinet secretary said the backpacks would “reinforce the work we're doing with Scottish Child Payment, school clothing grant, free school meals, and others”.
She added: “I was quite keen that opt out be possible because it's not about mandating people to to take this up.
“Just two years ago got my baby box, and I think, ‘If I had another baby, would I take another one?’ “I know a lot of my friends take one and then not another, and that system has worked really well.
“So, for this initial phase, no one's going to be forced to take the bag, and if they don't want it, it can be used for another cohort.”
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“This is an essential component of our determined focus to eradicate child poverty, which is why we have prioritised work during the first 100 days of Government to ensure the first bags reach children by the time they start school next year”, Ms McAllan added.
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