An interesting day

I have had an interesting and rewarding day.

In the early afternoon I paid a visit to Lady Alice Primary School to find out how children assessed as suffering from Irlen Syndrome, a condition that affects a person's ability to read, are benefiting from The Irlen Method, a technique that uses coloured overlays and lenses to reduce or eliminate poor depth perception and light sensitivity. I was very impressed by what I saw and heard, particularly from the children themselves, who have found that reading is much easier when they use the overlays and lenses.

Following a two hour meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee, I attended the election results for the Inverclyde Youth Council. Again I was very impressed by the number of young people who put themselves forward for election and their commitment to making Inverclyde a better place to live.

In the evening I attended the first public screening of "Tales from a Village", an animated film produced by Primary 7 pupils at Kilmacolm Primary School on life in the village between 1945 and 1960. The pupils - and those who assisted them - are to be congratulated on producing a very entertaining and informative piece of work. I have to give a special mention to my son Ronan who was a member of the production team.

Events like these remind me why I am involved in politics and why I have a passionate commitment to giving all our children and young people the best possible start in life.