How One MP Seeks to Change the World for Youth Physical Activity

John Weston, CHFI President, July 19, 2023

I’m delighted to learn of a Private Member’s Bill being developed by Liz Smith a Scottish Member of Parliament to mandate residential outdoor education in high schools. MP Smith has a determined commitment to getting youth outdoors, involved in healthy physical activity. She’s documented the decline in the physical, mental, and spiritual health of youth and offers a specific, effective, fiscally prudent, and winsome response. Her proposal is persuasively presented; comprehensively researched; and elegantly written.

Firstly, the work is masterfully consolidated, containing a model that could readily be imported by Canadian provinces, or even by the Federal Government as a “national framework” that could be adapted by provinces. As high school education falls under provincial domain, under the Canadian Constitution, the Federal Government would not be able to adopt the material bolus-bolus, and implement it without provincial buy-in.

Secondly, the initiative was brought to my attention by new CHFI Advisor, Dr. Robert Wallis, who in his day job serves as Principal, Curriculum and Education Manager for Outward Bound. This is an excellent example of the resources CHFI has at its disposal through our high-calibre Board of Advisors.  

Thirdly - and this betrays my personal bias - we see here the power of a legislator to impact a country through a Private Member’s Bill - not bridled by party politics. As a former mp who brought through two successful Private Member’s Bills on health and fitness, it’s empowering to see how one MP can really make a difference.

Here’s an excerpt from the MP Liz Smith’s brilliant proposal: “This commitment to learning beyond the classroom – within local communities, urban and wild spaces…, offers young people the opportunity to see and experience the processes that sustain life at first-hand; not only to hear, learn and talk about democracy and change, but to step outside into the places 17 

in which they live as active citizens and critically engage in issues that they and their families experience… many other aspects of the curriculum can be woven into short, day-long or residential experiences. Such essential experiences afford huge potential for interdisciplinary learning; enriching and cultivating skills for life and work that impact far beyond formal educational settings."