Energy / Equinor has no say on what is taught to pupils in pop-up science classes, HIE says
EQUINOR have no editorial control over what is taught to children in pop-up science classrooms at Shetland schools, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has said.
Green MSP Ariane Burgess had raised concerns earlier in the week about the Norwegian oil giant’s investment into Newton Rooms, which deliver lessons on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to pupils.
Equinor is said to have spent more than £200,000 to sponsor the classes.
That led Burgess to claim that any company making money from oil should not be allowed to teach children about the environment.
But HIE – which oversees the Newton Rooms through its skills development project Science Skills Academy – said Equinor had no influence over what was taught to pupils.
It said that full editorial control over content and delivery of activities in the classes’ rests entirely with Science Skills Academy.
And it said while some funding for the project came through private sector donations, these companies had no say or influence over what was provided in the way of activities or materials in the Newton Rooms.
The pop-up Newton Room classes were rolled out to Shetland schools in the spring, with HIE saying it expected to reach more than 1,000 bairns over the next two years.
Nine potential Newton Room locations were identified in Shetland, including in Unst, Yell, Foula and Fair Isle.
Burgess had voiced concerns about Equinor, which owns an 80 per cent stake in the controversial Rosebank oil field, potentially being allowed to influence what children were being taught.
She said it was “not fair for companies that make money from oil to have a significant say in what kids learn about energy and the environment”.
The Green politician said that there should be “greater transparency” about who was funding children’s education.
“If schools are accepting corporate sponsorship, this should be from a range of sources, with clear guidelines and independent oversight,” she added.
Equinor said earlier this week the aim of their sponsorship was to “generate interest in science, technology, and innovation”.
UK spokesperson Alice Baxter said those who taught the classes were not representatives of Equinor, and not trained or employed by them.
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