Education, Culture and Sport Committee, 29 Jan 2002
Meeting date: Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Official Report
149KB pdf
Scottish Qualifications Authority Bill
Members will be aware that the expected Scottish Qualifications Authority bill is due to be introduced on Thursday. The reason why I have placed this item on the agenda is that I felt that it would helpful for us to try to agree a way forward sooner rather than later, given that the bill has been delayed by some three weeks.
I suggest that we agree that when the bill is introduced to Parliament, a notice calling for written evidence for the committee is placed immediately. As a matter of urgency, we should also try to have the Scottish Qualifications Authority's chief executive and the minister come to an early meeting of the committee. When we have seen written evidence, we can consider again what organisations we might want to invite to give oral evidence.
On this occasion, we should perhaps invite the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland rather than the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, because the ADES will have a particular perspective on the SQA bill. However, we could consider inviting both bodies to come to the same meeting. For diary and timetable reasons it would be useful to have an indication from members about whom they think should be invited. However, I am certain that the chief executive of the SQA and the relevant minister would want to be approached urgently regarding their inclusion.
As well as a chief executive, there is a chairman of the SQA, who has been particularly involved in discussions during the year. We should also invite the teaching unions to give evidence. We should consider how much wider we should go.
I wonder whether the convener or the clerks could advise committee members what work the period until the Easter recess holds for us and where we are going. We have not seen an update of that for some weeks. It would be useful to have that information circulated.
I will arrange for that information to be circulated. I can also tell members now where we are going. I hope that we will sign off various reports this afternoon. That is to be agreed by members.
Next week and the week after we will look, if necessary, at the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Records) (Scotland) Bill when we receive evidence from other committees. We will continue also to look at the issue of a children's commissioner until we bring that matter to a conclusion. I hope that we will be able to do that sooner rather than later. We will then need to proceed to taking evidence on stage 1 of the SQA bill. It is important—because of the February recess—that we move that matter forward. We all acknowledge that the bill needs to be passed soon. I hope that we will be able to do that.
The other issue that we agreed to take on is cultural tourism and its impact. We asked the Scottish Parliament information centre to provide a briefing on that issue. The Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee, which has just embarked on a fairly major inquiry into tourism, approached us on that matter. That committee is taking written evidence, but it does not intend to take oral evidence until September. I will liaise on cultural tourism with the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee's convener in the period before our paper is produced.
Finally, members should have the paper on the purposes of education. I suggest that we invite the paper's authors to next week's or the following week's meeting—depending on their diaries—to discuss the paper in more detail and to consider how we move forward.
That is the work that we have until the Easter recess. It is a fairly substantial work load to be getting on with.
That timetable should be circulated to members so that we can put it into context. The SQA bill is much needed, but it might require amendment from the SNP.
I am sure that Mr Russell will welcome the opportunity to examine the bill in more detail.
What about the Borders report?
I omitted to mention the Borders report. Next week, we will consider a report into our inquiry into Borders education.
It is a draft report.
Yes. I will arrange for the timetable to be circulated to members tomorrow.
If you will forgive me, convener, I must leave to attend another meeting, although I might be back.
We now move into private session.
Meeting continued in private until 16:16.