Improving the Performance of the Scottish Education System
- Submitted by: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
- Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
- Motion reference: S6M-11635
- Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Motions as amended
That the Parliament recognises the significance of the challenges facing the Scottish education system, as highlighted by the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report; welcomes the publication of Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels 2022-23 (ACEL), which shows that the proportion of primary school pupils achieving expected levels of literacy and numeracy has reached record highs, that the poverty-related attainment gap in literacy in primary school has reached the lowest level on record, and that attainment at secondary level has increased and the poverty-related attainment gap decreased; understands that ACEL represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive statistics on attainment in Scotland, and that the findings are testament to the hard work of teachers, support staff and pupils; notes that PISA found that pupils in Scotland were less likely to witness issues with a number of aspects of behaviour in school than in other parts of the UK; welcomes the Scottish Government's decision to rejoin Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS); notes that Curriculum for Excellence was endorsed by the OECD in its 2021 report as the right approach for Scottish education, and agrees that the process of education reform, working in partnership with local authorities, and including the reorganisation of national bodies and reform of qualifications and assessments, offers the opportunity to raise standards, ensure that all children and young people can meet their full potential, and deliver excellence and equity across Scotland's schools.
Supported by:
Sharon Dowey, Stephen Kerr, Roz McCall, Tess White
Vote
Result 64 for, 54 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote Vote Passed
Scottish National Party
- 56 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 7 did not vote
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For
- Alasdair Allan
- Angela Constance
- Audrey Nicoll
- Ben Macpherson
- Bill Kidd
- Bob Doris
- Christina McKelvie
- Clare Adamson
- Clare Haughey
- Colin Beattie
- Collette Stevenson
- David Torrance
- Elena Whitham
- Emma Harper
- Emma Roddick
- Evelyn Tweed
- Fergus Ewing
- Fiona Hyslop
- Fulton MacGregor
- George Adam
- Gillian Martin
- Gordon MacDonald
- Graeme Dey
- Ivan McKee
- Jackie Dunbar
- James Dornan
- Jamie Hepburn
- Jenni Minto
- Jenny Gilruth
- Jim Fairlie
- Joe FitzPatrick
- John Mason
- John Swinney
- Karen Adam
- Kate Forbes
- Kaukab Stewart
- Keith Brown
- Kenneth Gibson
- Kevin Stewart
- Màiri McAllan
- Maree Todd
- Marie McNair
- Michelle Thomson
- Natalie Don
- Neil Gray
- Nicola Sturgeon
- Paul McLennan
- Richard Lochhead
- Rona Mackay
- Ruth Maguire
- Shirley-Anne Somerville
- Shona Robison
- Stephanie Callaghan
- Stuart McMillan
- Tom Arthur
- Willie Coffey
Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
- Angus Robertson
- Annabelle Ewing
- Christine Grahame
- Humza Yousaf
- Mairi Gougeon
- Michael Matheson
- Siobhian Brown
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- 0 for
- 30 against
- 0 abstained
- 1 did not vote
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For
0Against
- Alexander Burnett
- Alexander Stewart
- Annie Wells
- Brian Whittle
- Donald Cameron
- Douglas Lumsden
- Douglas Ross
- Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
- Edward Mountain
- Finlay Carson
- Graham Simpson
- Jackson Carlaw
- Jamie Greene
- Jamie Halcro Johnston
- Jeremy Balfour
- Liam Kerr
- Liz Smith
- Maurice Golden
- Meghan Gallacher
- Miles Briggs
- Murdo Fraser
- Oliver Mundell
- Pam Gosal
- Rachael Hamilton
- Roz McCall
- Russell Findlay
- Sharon Dowey
- Stephen Kerr
- Sue Webber
- Tess White
Abstained
0Did not vote
- Craig Hoy
Scottish Labour
- 0 for
- 20 against
- 0 abstained
- 2 did not vote
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For
0Against
- Alex Rowley
- Anas Sarwar
- Carol Mochan
- Colin Smyth
- Daniel Johnson
- Foysol Choudhury
- Katy Clark
- Mark Griffin
- Martin Whitfield
- Mercedes Villalba
- Michael Marra
- Monica Lennon
- Neil Bibby
- Pam Duncan-Glancy
- Paul O'Kane
- Paul Sweeney
- Pauline McNeill
- Rhoda Grant
- Richard Leonard
- Sarah Boyack
Abstained
0Did not vote
- Claire Baker
- Jackie Baillie
Scottish Green Party
- 7 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 0 did not vote
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For
- Ariane Burgess
- Gillian Mackay
- Lorna Slater
- Maggie Chapman
- Mark Ruskell
- Patrick Harvie
- Ross Greer
Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
0Scottish Liberal Democrats
- 0 for
- 4 against
- 0 abstained
- 0 did not vote
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For
0Against
- Alex Cole-Hamilton
- Beatrice Wishart
- Liam McArthur
- Willie Rennie
Abstained
0Did not vote
0Alba Party
- 1 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 0 did not vote
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For
- Ash Regan
Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
0No Party Affiliation
- 0 for
- 0 against
- 0 abstained
- 1 did not vote
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For
0Against
0Abstained
0Did not vote
- Alison Johnstone
Original motion text
That the Parliament recognises the significance of the challenges facing the Scottish education system, as highlighted by the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report; notes that, despite the efforts of teachers and school staff, Scotland’s positions in mathematics and science have dropped below the OECD average to an all-time low, while standards in reading are at a their joint lowest level since PISA reporting began; acknowledges that the OECD report also found that bullying in Scottish schools is more frequent than the OECD average, and that one in three of Scotland’s pupils don’t feel like they belong at their school, with pupils in Scotland twice as likely to observe violence in school as the OECD average; notes that Scotland was removed from a number of international statistical studies; recognises that education was devolved in the Scotland Act 1998; demands that the Scottish Government use its powers to address the many wide-ranging problems facing Scotland’s pupils, teachers, school staff and parents, beginning in and including early years; recognises that the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence has failed; calls for a fundamental rethink about schooling to raise standards, and considers that solutions should be explored, such as re-entering all statistical comparisons and benchmarks, addressing issues surrounding class sizes, teacher and support staff numbers, as well as the use of probationers and temporary contracts and urgently tackling the violence and discipline problems in Scotland’s schools.
Accepted amendments
Improving the Performance of the Scottish Education System - Amendment - Amendment
Submitted by: Jenny Gilruth, Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Supported by: Graeme Dey, Natalie Don
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Result 64 for, 54 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote Vote Passed
Defeated amendments
Improving the Performance of the Scottish Education System - Amendment - Amendment
Submitted by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Supported by: Paul Sweeney, Martin Whitfield
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Result 54 for, 64 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not vote Vote Defeated
Amendments that have not been voted on
Improving the Performance of the Scottish Education System - Amendment - Amendment
Submitted by: Willie Rennie, North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date lodged: Tuesday, December 12, 2023
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, December 13, 2023