It seems that good intentions do not just pave the road to hell, but the path to foolishness. The SNP has announced that, from August 2027, every child starting P1 in Scotland (the equivalent of Reception in England Wales) will be given a free school backpack, which will contain essentials such as a pencil case, water bottle and a notebook.

This may seem like a generous gesture, but the SNP have been rather reluctant to disclose how much this ‘small’ gift will actually cost (the bags are still apparently in the ‘pre-contract stage’ and a ‘budget will be confirmed once procurement is complete’, although we do know that the materials used to make the rucksacks will be sourced from overseas).

Parents don’t want handouts: they want orderly schools

Parents don’t want handouts: they want orderly schools

The problem with these free goodie bags is that, well, who actually wants them? Teachers don’t need the organisational chaos of multiple school children owning the same bag. Children like choosing their own school bags, lunch boxes and stationery (it’s all part of the excitement of ‘starting school’), while parents may not want their child to be targeted or bullied for appearing less wealthy by having one. The scheme could be opt-in rather than opt-out, so that it could still help families who are desperately struggling, but giving them out by default seems........

© The Spectator