It’s twelve years since Dan Wynn and Lesley Riddoch set up a think tank to focus on the policy successes of Scotland’s Nordic neighbours. Since then, Nordic Horizons has organised almost 70 meetings – most of them in person until the pandemic lockdown in 2020. Now Nordic Horizons meets online – less disruption and travel for speakers and more access for Scots living outside Edinburgh. We’re also producing monthly podcasts of recent events and edited versions of some ‘Golden Oldies’ – including a talk about Norway’s education system where children attend kindergarten (often outdoor) until the age of six – a school starting age the SNP conference is set to discuss in October 2022. It seems many lessons learned over the past decade are still very relevant.
So why did NH start and is the Nordic focus still relevant? Has the group made any real change to Scottish Government policy? What next?
Here’s a short podcast with online editor Chris Smith in the driving seat and Steering Group members Mike Danson, Dan Wynn and Lesley Riddoch.