Challenge Poverty Week: Participatory Budgeting
Increasing stakeholder voice with Participatory Budgeting
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic way for people to have a direct say on how public money is spent. There are a range of different models of PB in use across Scotland and around the world.
PB can be a powerful tool for schools to involve all parents and pupils in establishments improvement planning, including decisions on the use of Pupil Equity Funding. PB can play an important role in establishment approaches to equity, family engagement, learner participation and democratic education.
The Scottish Government and COSLA have made a commitment that at least 1% of local government budgets in Scotland will be subject to participatory budgeting by the end of 2021.
Dumfries and Galloway are piloting Participatory Budgeting within some schools across the authority. To find out more about PB, please click the following link:
Schools across South Lanarkshire are using the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) as a vehicle to provide children and young people with the opportunity to be involved and help decide where best to spend some of the budget allocated to schools by the council. To find out more, click here. Education Scotland provide further resources here too.
