Plenary, 28 Mar 2001
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 28, 2001
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
I welcome Katie Gallagher, a sixth-year student at Holy Rood high school, to lead our time for reflection.
Katie Gallagher (Holy Rood Roman Catholic School):
I am a pupil at Holy Rood high school in Edinburgh. Holy Rood is a Catholic school with an ethos that is based on the values of the gospel, but we are also an ecumenical community with members of different Christian churches. We are an inter-faith community with members who are Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. We are a community with members who do not believe in God or follow any religion. We are a community with members who come from many different faiths, cultures and backgrounds.
We try not to repeat the mistakes of the past or live out the abuses of the present. We have been reflecting together on what we believe the aims of a school should be, and I would like to share those aims with you.
We believe in a school that gives pupils a well-rounded education, that prepares them for life in the real world and that they will be able to remember fondly. We believe that pupils and teachers should show mutual respect and that they should be able to communicate freely and enjoy their work. We believe in a school with an atmosphere that encourages pupils to work to the best of their ability. We believe in a school that is of service to the local community, that is welcoming to visitors and that appreciates and respects the environment. We believe in a school that aims for equality for every person irrespective of race, religion, age, class or sex, that makes all pupils feel valued and special and where decisions that affect the school are put to everyone.
That is our vision for our school, but we have also looked out into the world in which we live. We have tried to express our hopes and dreams. We believe in one world, where riches and good things are shared by all. We believe in a world that can be changed when people help one another, where people work together to end poverty, injustice, ignorance and fear.
We believe in freedom:
freedom from oppression
freedom from hunger
freedom from want
freedom from hatred
freedom from fear
freedom from loneliness
freedom to speak
freedom to learn
freedom to play
freedom to hope
freedom to love.
We believe that with God all things are possible and that there is always room for hope. We believe that dreams can come true and that visions can be realised.
The Scottish Parliament has a vision for our whole nation. It, too, will be hard to achieve. We pray that, with God's help, your deliberations and decisions will continue to bear fruit. [Applause.]