PUPILS at a Barrhead school who are studying democracy got a special visit from the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer.

Ken Macintosh, MSP for West Scotland, took part in a question-and-answer session with youngsters at Barrhead High as part of their modern studies course.

This came after the children had paid a visit to the Scottish Parliament to witness First Minister’s Questions.

Pupils have been researching ‘Democracy in Scotland and the UK,’ with a focus on the role of local MSPs in both the parliament and their constituencies.

Class teacher Collette McGuire said: “It was great to host Ken at Barrhead High as he brought to life a lot of the context pupils learn in class and linked it to real-life situations.”

Mr Macintosh, who was one of the MSPs elected to the first Scottish Parliament in 1999, representing Eastwood, became Presiding Officer in 2016.

He said: “It was fantastic to catch up with students after their recent visit to Holyrood.

“Having had the opportunity to see the Parliament in action for themselves, I was delighted to be able to answer their questions on what they had seen and help build upon their already impressive knowledge of Scottish politics.”