Children aged 12 and up will be given more of a control over the type of support they receive

New legislation which gives children more of a say on their education has been introduced.

Under the new laws, those aged between 12 and 15 will have more of a say on additional learning support.

The Education (Scotland) Act 2016 gives children under 16 years old many of the same rights as their parents and carers in relation to additional support in education.

Those aged 12 and up now have the right to ask their school or local authority to find out if they need extra support, have a say on what support they get and be actively involved in resolving disagreements around their support.

The new legislation has been welcomed by Enquire, an advice service for additional support for learning, hosted by charity Children in Scotland

Manager Sally Cavers said: “We know from our work with children and young people how important it is that they feel genuinely involved and listened to by the professionals supporting them and how much this can influence whether they feel school is a negative or positive experience.

“The extension of children’s rights provides an opportunity for professionals supporting children to reflect on their practice and consider whether they routinely listen to and involve children with additional support needs in the decisions that directly affect them.”

A new children's service called My Rights My Say has also been created to make sure children understand their rights and are able to access advocacy and legal representation where needed. The service will be delivered by a new partnership between Enquire, Partners in Advocacy and Cairn Legal.