Thoughts on the SNP’s proposed P1 school bag scheme

[FunnyOrca]

What do you think about the SNP’s P1 bag idea?

I think the prototypes look ugly! My nephew down south got a school branded one from his local primary. It’s satchel style and looks smart. It’s not huge, fits his homework jotter, reading folder and water bottle.

I also think it’s pretty pointless! I’d rather have funded childcare from 9 months or strategies for teacher retention! 😭

The last one wasn’t a ruling party presiding officer. She was SGP.

Oh and parliament votes on the presiding officer. Not the ruling party.

https://spice-spotlight.scot/2026/05/12/explainer-how-does-the-parliament-elect-a-presiding-officer/

www.brainyquote.com/quotes/mark_twain_103535

She was elected as part of the run up to the SNP agreeing a power sharing government with the SGP.

Sooo the parties who work together to form the government, formally or informally, because they can have a majority in parliament, get to choose for the presiding officer too by virtue of their slim majority…

By parliament.

The whole parliament votes. It’s actually not a good thing for any party if one of their members become PO. It means they’ve lost a vote for any legislation they want to implement.

It’s the white stripe, obviously. So many people in denial about pervasive sectarianism.

Lucky you. Sod everyone else then eh?

My dd was at a school with matching school bags and she almost died when they went to an athletics track for sports day and she needed her EpiPen and nobody could find it because all the fecking bags were identical.

I had that with by DT1 son. I bought him a bum bag to keep his stuff in. It’s a worry!

I'm just commenting that it's not an issue where I live. People here find it hard to understand because it just isn't an issue.

You really struggle to understand that the when a party forms an informal coalition, as the SNP has with the Greens, so that they can have the majority of votes, however slim, that also means they get to choose the presiding officer? So they can push through any legislation they want and control the scrutiny both in committee and parliament and if they behave badly it doesn’t matter as the FM controls the standards committee.

I actually sent you the link. THE WHOLE PARLIAMENT VOTES ON WHO IS PO. The BUTE HOUSE AGREEMENT ended with Humza.

Families who are on a low income already receive a £331.95 school-age payment when their kids start P1. This is on top of a school uniform grant which is a minimum of £120 per child. This is more than enough to buy school bags, supplies and even electronics for learning.

I do understand that a small proportion of kids will have feckless parents who do not supply what the kids need, and I think the government could supply bags via schools to those who really need them.

The only potential positives I can see are that the bags contain books, although there are no details about the books are. They might allow a kid without resources at home to draw, write, etc although they should also supply paper.

Does anyone know how much the school bags cost to produce and distribute?

A complete waste of money. Our P1’s need a water bottle, get a book bag and maybe a packed lunch. Who wants 25 matching bags to search when something goes missing.

If one party (or a combination of two parties) have 65 MSPs then they get to form the government. They also get to propose the PO and it doesn’t matter who the rest of the parliament vote for because they have the majority so their candidate wins!!!!

The previous PO could not be removed simply because the Bute House agreement was no longer valid, nor did the Bute House agreement ending mean the SNP stopped courting the SGP MSP votes.

What the hell do the parents spend the money that they’re supposed to spend on their kids on?

I think it's a waste of money and duplicates the existing Bookbug Primary 1 bag which is a reusable bag with 3 books, an activity pack and pencils.

What a waste of money, and how are small dc going to recognise their bag and water bottle easily if they are all the same? I work in a school. We’ll have loads of those bottles left unclaimed by the end of week 1! Hardly any dc are going to actually want the bags and the parents won’t use them. Most p1’s are so proud of their bags, bottles and pencil cases in their favourite colours and with their favourite characters on! Put more support in schools instead with the money or fund them so they can supply the basics!

The vast majority of parents want the best for their kids and will spend the money on them, but I have no idea why the school age payment exists or is so high. It means some families will receive a total of £450 when their kids start P1 when it costs a lot less than that.

There will be a small minority who either live in deep poverty and spend it on essentials or are just bad parents and spend it on fags, booze, drugs, take aways etc.

The book bug packs given throughout nursery and school contain books and stationary so most dc will have these from there

And what about high school kids. That’s when all the help seems to fall away. They are bigger and hungrier and eat more so it’s a lot to find when they’ve been getting fed through primary school

The SNP had three candidates you absolute Wally.

It’s a cloth bag.