Speech in the Scottish Parliament
The Commonwealth
11 March 2009
Before I decided to speak in the debate, I reflected briefly earlier today on when I first became aware of the Commonwealth.
I suspect, because of my interest in athletics as a youngster, that it was through watching or hearing about the Commonwealth games.
Although I remember very little about it, I also had the pleasure of living in Jamaica for some of my early years.
The Queen visited Jamaica in 1953 when I was there—I know that members will find it hard to believe that I could have been there in 1953.
I do not remember anything about the Queen's visit, but I vividly remember being shown photographs of it in a family album when I could appreciate such things and was told that the Queen was there as the head of state and the head of the Commonwealth.
I remember from my school days the legacy map of the world that hung on the wall.
There were huge areas of pink on it, which represented what was then the British Empire.
I am glad that it came to an end in the way that Ted Brocklebank described and that, for the reasons that Ted Brocklebank mentioned, a far better form of relationship between many nations developed through the Commonwealth.
Three or four years ago, that general awareness of the Commonwealth turned into my being fully awakened to it, when I had the great privilege of chairing in Edinburgh the Commonwealth conference of education ministers.
It was only when all those delegates—education ministers from other nations—were there sharing common cause that the sheer scale of the Commonwealth became apparent to me, in respect not only of the geographic area to which it extends and the hundreds of millions of people who make up its population, but also of the diversity, from north to south and east to west, of the cultures that exist in the Commonwealth.
I also became aware of the different challenges.
One moment from that conference will stick with me for ever
We were discussing the difficult issue of the damage that was being done by countries effectively poaching each other's teachers, particularly in the African continent, and also the rate of attrition among the teaching population as a result of AIDS, which was horrific.
We also discussed the access that young people had to education.
Millions of young people in the African subcontinent still do not have access to basic education.
During the debate, my pager was buzzing—my private secretary was telling me that I was running an hour late for a meeting in St Andrew's house and that I had to get there quick.
For obvious reasons, I could not leave the Commonwealth meeting until it was concluded, but I got to the meeting in St Andrew's house to discuss one of my ministerial responsibilities—I had to decide whether to put 2Mbps or 8Mbps of broadband connection into every single school in Scotland.
I was struck by the contrast between the debate that I had come from on the fundamentals of providing basic education to millions of people and the discussion of the further sophistication that we were trying to add to an already sophisticated education system.
Despite those differences and contrasts, there were still common bonds between the countries and there was still a desire to learn from each other, to share experiences and to help develop those who need it, but there was still the opportunity for us to learn lessons about things that we have forgotten within our learning system.
In discussions that I had during the conference in Edinburgh, I was made very much aware of the great similarities in the government and administrative systems of Commonwealth countries.
Following that conference, I have had the pleasure to be welcomed in, and to build contacts with, a number of Commonwealth countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore.
Last summer, during a trip to British Columbia, I was able through the CPA to visit the Parliament there and to meet people who are involved in education.
One of the strengths of the association is that one can, almost at the drop of a hat, make connections in countries all over the world to everyone's mutual benefit.
I commend it for that.
After 60 years, the Commonwealth is still relevant and should remain so.
It is a force for good, but there is much more to be done over the coming years, so I certainly wish it well in its task.
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