Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 27 Jun 2001

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 27, 2001

Official Report 135KB pdf

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“Assessing our children's educational needs: The Way Forward?”

The first item today is the report from the deputy convener on the Scottish Executive's consultation document "Assessing our children's educational needs: The Way Forward?"

My response to the consultation document is based on the recommendations of this committee, which I have put into the appropriate slots for answers. The consultation document did not include some issues surrounding the question of reporting and I felt that it was important to raise them. I hope that members have had a chance to read the response, although I know that you received it only yesterday.

I commend the way in which Cathy Peattie managed to slot almost all our 29 recommendations into an appropriate section of the consultation document. It is right that we do that, as it reiterates the outcome of the considerable time that we spent on the issue.

The report reads well. I note that Cathy Peattie has helpfully included some points in the additional comments section. Given that, when we had the debate on our committee report, the minister indicated his willingness to examine the issue of special educational needs in a wider context and mentioned the probable development of a national strategy, we should highlight that that has already been mentioned and that people in the field believe that examining not only the record of needs but the issue of special educational needs in the round would be a good way in which to progress. We should endorse that view as well.

I have raised that with the minister in formal written communication. I do not know whether members have seen the minister's response yet. It would be useful to include that in our response.

I am happy to endorse that.

Irene McGugan is correct. Because the idea of the national strategy was not part of our report, I did not include it. However, I believe that mentioning it as part of the additional comments would be correct. We took evidence from the national schools and agreed with them that a national strategy was needed. I am happy to write a paragraph to that effect.

Given the minister's announcement this week that he intends to double the number of new community schools, working in partnership with local authorities, it might be useful to include a paragraph to the effect that there should be an expectation that children with special educational needs should be catered for in any new initiatives by the setting of standards and targets. I am not sure of the exact form of words that we would use, but we should state that ensuring that children with special educational needs are taken account of in the planning process of the new developments should be a priority.

Yes.

If there are no other comments, I suggest that Cathy Peattie e-mail the additional paragraphs to members. If there are no difficulties, we could send the response to the ministerial team as soon as possible, perhaps by the end of the week.

I will write the new text tomorrow.

Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.