Inclusion and equality

A photo of two children using wheelchairs with their teacher outdoors

Managing cultural and social diversity is central to planning and must be addressed well in advance when planning to take groups outdoors.

It is important to ensure that no one is denied opportunities through discrimination, prejudice or exclusion because of factors such as race, gender or disability. Every effort should be made to spot and overcome barriers to participation as early as possible.

To assist the planning of outdoor learning, teachers/leaders should explore the equality legislation and guidance on how it applies.

Relevant legislation for inclusion and equality

  • Education (Scotland) Act 1980
  • Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000
  • Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 - updated 2009
  • Race Relations Act 1976
  • Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
  • Disability Discrimination Act 1995
  • Disability Discrimination Act 2001
  • Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002
  • Sex Discrimination Act 1976
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Equality Act 2006 (Gender Equality Duty 2007)

More from Education Scotland

  • Inclusion and equality

    See how practitioners can take action to remove the barriers to participation and learning, eliminate discrimination and promote equality.

  • Education for Citizenship

    Case studies and evaluation materials to support the 'Education for Citizenship in Scotland' paper developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland.

Other websites