Education and Lifelong Learning
Good afternoon. The first item of business is portfolio question time. As ever, short and succinct questions and answers would be appreciated.
Foreign Language Teaching (Support)
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the teaching of foreign languages in schools. (S4O-03761)
We want all young people in Scotland to have excellent language learning opportunities from a young age as a normal and expected part of a broad and relevant school education. That is why our one-plus-two languages policy is supporting local authorities and schools with significant extra funding—£9 million over two years—and it is why we are working closely with Education Scotland, Scotland’s national centre for languages and others to create the conditions in which early and continued language learning becomes the norm.
Does the minister agree with the finding of the foreign language learning inquiry that the Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee conducted last year—that foreign language assistants can play a very important and cost-effective role in helping our school pupils to learn modern foreign languages? Does he share my concern about the fact that the number of foreign language assistants in Scotland’s schools in 2013-14 was down by almost three quarters from 2005-06? What action will the Scottish Government take to reverse that situation and to ensure that as many pupils as possible can benefit from working with foreign language assistants?
I share both Jamie McGrigor’s view on the importance of native speakers in the class and his enthusiasm for language learning. As he knows, I met the cross-party group on Germany to discuss that and other issues only last week.
It is important to mention that in the past year or so the overall number of language assistants has gone up. I appreciate that there is much to be done, but it is worth saying—given that Mr McGrigor has a particular interest in German—that 30 German trainees have been brought into the system. The Scottish Government works with the British Council and others to ensure that we continue to improve the availability of modern language assistants throughout the school system.
Does the minister agree that the one-plus-two policy is the most ambitious language learning programme in the United Kingdom and that the economic and cultural opportunities that can be gained from learning a second or third language in addition to the mother tongue are extensive?
It is true that the benefits are very extensive. We can probably agree across the chamber that cognitively, culturally and economically it is in Scotland’s interests for us to develop a culture of language learning at a much earlier age than has been the case in the past. I appreciate that that will require a lot of work by all of us, together with the education system, but I believe that the end makes that well worth doing.
Bullying
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to combat bullying in schools. (S4O-03762)
Our national approach to anti-bullying, which was developed in partnership with stakeholders, sets out a common vision and aims to make sure that work across all agencies and communities is jointly focused on tackling all types of bullying.
To support the implementation of the national approach we have established and wholly fund respectme, which is a national anti-bullying service, in order to build confidence and capacity to tackle all types of bullying effectively. We are committed to refreshing the national approach to ensure that it remains current and reflects policy developments. A working group will be set up early in 2015.
The minister will be aware of Enable Scotland’s new campaign #bethechange, which is aimed at tackling abusive and offensive language about people who have learning disabilities. By working in collaboration with a number of partners, Enable Scotland has developed a school resource for teachers of secondary 1 and 2 pupils that will raise awareness of learning disability and take an early-intervention approach to promoting positive attitudes to learning disability.
Does the minister support Enable Scotland’s campaign? What action will he take to encourage local authorities to implement in secondary schools the four-week lesson plan, which will focus on educating children about learning disability, from the 2015-16 academic year?
Siobhan McMahon is right to point to the particular importance of ensuring that young people grow up with respect for, and understanding of, the issues that are faced by people with learning disabilities. One of the things that the Scottish Government and the education system in general focus on is promoting positive behaviour. That is central to what we do, and it is central to our understanding of the kind of dignity that everyone should expect and respect as a right in our schools.
Teachers’ Workloads
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address teachers’ workload issues. (S4O-03763)
The Scottish Government is working with teachers’ representatives, local authorities and other partners to address teacher workload issues. That includes an unprecedented package of support and resources to implement curriculum for excellence. Our curriculum for excellence working group on tackling bureaucracy is taking forward a strong set of actions to support schools in reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Does the minister share the concerns of the Educational Institute of Scotland, which says that there is a “workload crisis” in our schools, or the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, which says that
“The Scottish Government is facing a ticking time bomb”?
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s predecessor said that he wanted to maintain or increase teacher numbers, but every year since 2007 there has been a decrease. In fact, there are 4,000 fewer teachers than when the Scottish National Party took office. On top of that, there have been cuts in classroom assistants and support staff.
Are teachers unions right to voice their concerns? Will the minister inform Parliament whether he intends to reverse the cuts, to maintain the current level or to cut teacher numbers even further?
Teacher numbers have stabilised since 2007. Dr Simpson is aware who the employers are: local authorities. The Government works with them to ensure that numbers are maintained in line with the existing teacher to pupil ratio, which I am sure local authorities also want to happen.
On the broader issue of workload that Dr Simpson raised in his question, I have never tried to shy away from the fact that the introduction of a completely new set of qualifications has involved work for teachers, but the work that has been done since the successful implementation of those qualifications, to involve teachers and teachers unions in planning the way ahead, has been entirely positive.
Does the minister agree with comments that were made by Terry Lanagan, who is the executive director of education in West Dunbartonshire Council, at the Education and Culture Committee on 30 September, when he said,
“I am quite clear, having worked in education for 37 years, that there has been no initiative in Scottish education during that time about which there has been more communication or more support”?—[Official Report, Education and Culture Committee, 30 September 2014; c 13-14.]
I certainly welcome the spirit and content of those comments. Of course, they tie in with comments from elsewhere in the sector. For instance, Ken Cunningham, who is the general secretary of School Leaders Scotland, said:
“The preparation, consultation: there’s been more than I can ever remember. The amount of effort that’s gone into this knocks the others into the corner”.
I do not take anything away from the amount of work that has been involved, but in all parts of the education sector, the work that has gone in has been significant and we have all benefited from it.
Falkirk Council (Early Learning and Childcare)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Falkirk Council regarding its obligation to provide a flexible approach to parental choice for early learning and childcare. (S4O-03764)
The Government meets regularly with local authorities and discusses a range of issues that include childcare. It is for each local authority to implement the provisions in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 that relate to early learning and childcare, taking into account local needs and priorities. The act includes new duties on local authorities to increase flexibility year on year, based on consultation of representative local populations of parents, and to publish plans that show how they will do so.
The minister might be aware of a privately funded nursery that serves my area, the Little Stars nursery, which has been trying for seven years to gain partnership status with Falkirk Council but has been refused, despite rating standards of 4 and 5. Parents claim that that is discrimination because it denies their children access to local education services. There is no doubt that Falkirk Council is falling short of the Scottish Government’s objective in that regard. What can the Scottish Government do to ensure that Falkirk Council enables proper parental choice through a flexible approach?
I thank Angus MacDonald for raising the issue. We expect local authorities to meet their statutory responsibilities, and it is for each of them to decide how best to do that to meet local needs. That includes using a mix of providers, including family centres, childminders and private providers such as the one that Angus MacDonald mentioned, which he knows well.
I reiterate that local authorities are now required to consult groups of parents at least once every two years on patterns of childcare provision that would best meet their needs. That should introduce greater levels of flexibility and choice in the system as we work with local government to further develop and expand the provision that is so important to so many families across the country.
I would be happy to meet Angus MacDonald to discuss the issue further if he thinks that that would be helpful.
School Curriculum (Software Engineering)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce software engineering as part of the school curriculum. (S4O-03765)
Curriculum for excellence enables young people in schools to develop their skills and focus on the learning that is needed for our modern dynamic economy, consistent with the developing Scotland’s young workforce agenda. Within the curriculum framework, and through the suite of computing science national qualifications, learners have many opportunities to develop the understanding and skills that will enable them to take up careers in software engineering and programming.
The minister will be aware that, despite those considerable efforts over recent years, we are still well short of producing the number of software engineers in Scotland that we require. Estonia seems to have made great strides in establishing a world-class reputation for software excellence and software engineers. What more does the minister think we might be able to do—particularly in schools—to raise the profile of careers in software design, so that youngsters can see the fantastic career opportunities that lie ahead?
I am always happy to learn from the experience of other countries. However, it is worth saying that in Scotland £250,000 has recently been provided to BCS to provide learning opportunities for teachers as part of our professional learning and networking for computing—PLAN C—project to make sure that teachers have the skills and confidence to keep up with this fast-changing subject.
On teacher numbers, the Government recognises that this subject deserves some priority, given the demand that exists for it. It is also true to say that understanding the career opportunities that exist is an important message to put out in the curriculum. That message has been reflected in national careers events as well.
Has the Scottish Government given any thought to the call from the Royal Society of Chemistry to broaden the science curriculum to include subjects such as engineering and to start having dedicated science teachers in primary schools?
The Royal Society of Chemistry and others have made very important contributions to the debate about science, particularly, as the member mentions, at the primary school level. There is now a much wider acceptance of—and, more important, an understanding of—the need for science in primary schools, and a great deal of work goes into creating the skills and the confidence to use them among primary classroom teachers, to ensure that science is firmly grounded in the primary curriculum.
Raising Attainment for All Programme
To ask the Scottish Government how the raising attainment for all programme is raising the standards of education in schools. (S4O-03766)
Raising attainment and reducing educational inequality is a top priority for the Scottish Government, Education Scotland and all our partners. The raising attainment for all programme was launched in June this year. It involves more than 150 schools from 12 local authorities and it brings a structured approach to improvement into Scottish schools. The raising attainment for all programme will complement the other work that was announced in the programme for government, including the read, write, count campaign and the creation of attainment advisers for every local authority through Education Scotland.
I welcome the minister’s answer and the Government’s ambition. Can she explain further how the programme is going to make a difference in breaking the connection that currently exists between social deprivation and the level of educational achievement for too many pupils?
Of course, poverty does not stop at the school gates. We know that poverty can undermine our efforts to make progress and Westminster policies are undeniably making the situation more challenging. However, education brings choices and opportunities. It brings routes out of poverty for children and young people and it can and should be the key to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty, which can be all too real in modern-day Scotland.
The raising attainment for all programme and the other interventions that I mentioned will indeed help schools to focus relentlessly on doing everything that they can to erode that connection between deprivation and poor educational attainment.
I congratulate the cabinet secretary on her appointment and wish her well in her new role.
Last week, the First Minister said that, against every main measure, education is improving. We would expect that, given that her party has been in government for seven and a half years, but it is not true. In areas such as numeracy, the Scottish Government’s own figures show that standards are falling. Does the education secretary count numeracy as a main measure of educational achievement? What action will she take to address numeracy standards?
Absolutely—numeracy is an important priority and must be given parity of esteem with and the same importance as literacy. Numeracy is at the heart of curriculum for excellence, and we have committed £1.2 million over the next three years to accelerate the development of local authority numeracy hubs. There are currently six numeracy hubs in various areas up and down the country.
It is true to say that our attainment record in Scotland is good and is improving. That is true whether we look at the PISA—programme for international student assessment—results; at the attainment gap, which has closed in maths, reading and science; at school leaver destinations; or at the record number of passes at higher and advanced higher level. Nonetheless, I make it clear that attainment for all and closing the equity gap is my top priority, and we must pick up the pace.
With regard to attainment, 35 per cent of secondary 2 pupils in 2013 were not working at their expected level of numeracy, in comparison with 2 per cent of those in primary 7. Why is there such a deterioration in only two years?
Ms Scanlon makes an important point. When we compare similar surveys to measure progress in literacy, attainment remains at a good level of 80 per cent plus. There is something that happens, perhaps in the transfer between primary school and the first few years of secondary school.
As I indicated in my answer to Mr Bibby, numeracy is a priority for the Government, and I have outlined the actions that we are taking. Numeracy, along with literacy, is core in ensuring that all our children attain more and are prepared for the world of work.
Autistic Spectrum Disorders Pupil Support
To ask the Scottish Government how it assists general teaching staff in helping them to ensure that pupils with autistic spectrum disorders receive full support. (S4O-03767)
To help teachers and educational support staff to meet the needs of pupils with autism, the Scottish Government funded Scottish Autism to produce the autism toolbox website. That online national tool will encourage best practice among all education staff in schools to enable them to support pupils with autism. The toolbox website will also provide a forum for continually updating and disseminating good practice. Scottish Autism has offered all education authorities awareness sessions on the autism toolbox.
I thank the minister for that answer and reassure him that some of the teachers and parents to whom I have spoken welcome the toolbox website.
For many children on the autistic spectrum, homework is a very stressful time, which strays into the challenges that young people with autistic spectrum disorders face out of school. What the minister says about the toolbox is welcome. Will he join me in asking what work can be done to better support children with autism spectrum disorders in dealing with the work that they have to undertake away from the structure of their classroom?
Christina McKelvie rightly points out that homework can provide a particular source of stress for children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders. For that reason, the Government and the education system are keen to provide support. One of the most important forms of support is continuing professional development for teachers. Also, through the autism strategy, which was launched in 2011, there are a number of one-stop shops aimed at providing many forms of support, one of which is in Lanarkshire.
I am dealing with a constituency case involving a teenage autistic boy who considers that his teachers do not understand his literal interpretation of remarks or his lack of tact. That has led to him becoming disengaged educationally. Can the minister tell me what support is in place to enable existing teaching staff to gain greater understanding through CPD, and to enable new teaching staff, through teacher training, to be given a greater understanding so that, when they start in post, they have a much firmer understanding of autism and autistic spectrum disorders?
As the member rightly says, one of the biggest tasks is to ensure that teachers understand what autism is and what it can mean for a child or young person. One of the central tenets of the standard for full registration is that new teachers can identify barriers to learning that may exist and respond to them appropriately. The autism toolbox, among its many functions, performs an important role in ensuring that teachers understand what autism is.
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (Guidance)
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the accompanying guidance for the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. (S4O-03768)
Statutory guidance on part 6 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, on early learning and childcare, was published in August 2014 to coincide with that part coming into force. The remaining statutory guidance to accompany the act will be formally consulted on prior to publication and within the appropriate timescales ahead of commencement of the relevant parts of the act.
The minister will know from her recent meeting with the Scottish kinship care alliance how strongly kinship carers feel about some of the proposed changes to the support that they receive. The getting it right for every child provisions in the 2014 act are vital for many kinship carers. Will the minister give more detail on the guidance that is being developed on the child’s plan and any other aspects of the GIRFEC guidance that could determine what support will be available to kinship care families?
I might be able to follow up in writing on some of the more detailed issues on the implementation and the consultation on guidance. We intend to consult from February to April next year on the statutory guidance on parts 4, 5 and 18 of the act, which include the measures on the child’s plan and on wellbeing. That should give some clarity for kinship carers. We will also consult on the guidance that will accompany the kinship care order under the act.
I am happy to continue to engage with the member on the timescales for the guidance on different parts of the act, which will all commence at different times. I will keep in touch with her on those points.
Question 9 has been withdrawn, for understandable reasons.
Getting it Right for Every Child
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the getting it right for every child strategy. (S4O-03770)
The key driver of our getting it right for every child approach is the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, which received royal assent in March. The GIRFEC duties in the act are to be implemented in August 2016.
Does the minister agree that a large share of the credit for the success of GIRFEC to date should go to voluntary bodies such as Home-Start, which does invaluable work in my constituency, for the role that they play in the strategy? Will she agree to visit Home-Start to see for herself the good work that it does? Will she update members on what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that that aspect of GIRFEC continues to thrive?
I thank the member for raising the good work that Home-Start has done in his constituency. I am aware of the good work that happens in other parts of the country, not least in the Highlands, to support families with young children and to ensure that parents have the necessary skills and confidence to build better lives for their children.
The work of Home-Start and other non-statutory bodies is a crucial component of getting it right for every child and young person in Scotland. That is why we have key relationships with a number of groups and organisations that do the sort of good work that Home-Start does and which James Dornan outlined.
I am happy to arrange a visit, although I am not sure whether it will be by me or my maternity replacement, Fiona McLeod. Regardless of who it is, we would be pleased to go and see the work to which James Dornan referred.
Further Education
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage people to attend further education courses. (S4O-03771)
Our reforms mean that courses are increasingly tailored to student and employer need, which makes them more attractive to people who want to progress to good jobs or further study. The developing the young workforce programme will build on that by providing more and better pathways for people to benefit from a first-class vocational education that is closely linked to labour market need.
Short non-certificated courses are often enough to begin a person’s journey back into education. The minister will know that her Government’s cut of 140,000 college places is having a serious impact on adult education. What is the Government doing to support adults into the further education sector and to support the courses that were crudely and outrageously described by some of her colleagues as “hobby courses”?
Although the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council has undoubtedly moved away from supporting very short courses, it is the case that very short courses have huge access and economic benefits. It is not true to say that we have moved entirely away from them; they still exist.
We have worked hard to get the right balance of provision. I make no apologies for prioritising young people, because, at the end of the day, it is always young people who are hit the hardest in times of recession. We should be proud of our record on young people in further education, which is that more young people are studying full-time courses that lead to recognised qualifications that boost their prospects of getting good work and sustainable employment.
Education and Lifelong Learning (Budget Priorities)
To ask the Scottish Government what the budget priorities are for the education and lifelong learning portfolio in 2015-16. (S4O-03772)
The First Minister made it clear last week in publishing the programme for government that attainment is our top priority. The full budget priorities are set out in the budget document, which was published on 9 October 2014.
What will happen in real terms to the higher education resource budget in 2015-16?
The Scottish Government is proud to continue to invest £1 billion—that is £1,041 million—in higher education. Within that, we have asked the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council not to allocate £22 million, which represents 2 per cent of the budget. We want to have flexibility as we move forward with our ambitions for post-16 education and training, and there is a commitment to maintain the unit of resource for teaching.
Scotland’s Schools for the Future (Investment)
To ask the Scottish Government how much will be invested in the programme, Scotland’s schools for the future. (S4O-03773)
Some £1.8 billion will be invested in the Scottish Government’s schools for the future programme, in partnership with local authorities. That will bring about the construction of 91 new schools. Further projects to benefit from a fourth phase of the programme will be announced in December 2014, which will take the figure to well in excess of 100 schools built, for over 60,000 pupils, by March 2020.
How many schools in the Highlands and Islands region will benefit from the funding?
The Scottish Government has committed to providing Highland Council with funding of almost £26 million for two secondary schools—Wick high school and Inverness royal academy. Moreover, through phase 4 of the programme, Highland Council will receive a further £10 million for a new three-to-18 campus, which will encompass Tain royal academy, Craighill primary, Knockbreck primary and St Duthus school.
Unannounced School Inspections
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making school inspections without giving prior notice. (S4O-03774)
Education Scotland’s inspectors carry out unannounced inspections when they are aware of serious concerns about the care and welfare of pupils at a school. Inspectors have carried out five unannounced school inspections in 2014. Education Scotland is discussing with its stakeholders how to develop school inspections for the future.
Does the minister agree that, at present, ordinary school inspections do not give an accurate picture of a school, because the weeks of notice that are given create a flurry of activity that enables the school to look its best and ensure that the work is more ordered than might normally be the case? Does he agree that unannounced visits, as is the case in the care sector, would better reflect what is happening in a school, for better or for worse?
I have confidence in the inspection regime. I understand the points that the member raises, which have been discussed in the past within Education Scotland and with stakeholders.
There are pros and cons to the proposal. The pro side involves a reduction in stress and the creation of an accurate impression; the con side involves the need to be careful about protecting the relationship between inspectors and the schools and ensuring that inspectors are inspecting in partnership with the schools rather than merely inspecting the schools.
However, as I said, five schools have had a no-warning inspection, although I concede that those inspections were for unusual reasons.
Has the minister considered further whether the state of buildings should be included in the school inspection?
The responsibility for assessing the state of buildings lies with local authorities. However, it is worth saying that the work and the money that have gone in centrally have significantly reduced the number of schools that are in category C or D condition. The number of pupils in a condition C building is 104,000 and the number in a condition D building is 6,000, which are significant reductions on the numbers in previous years.
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Agreement on Education Services Funding)
To ask the Scottish Government what agreements are in place with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities regarding the funding of education services. (S4O-03775)
The majority of funding for education services is provided to local authorities as part of the annual local government finance settlement. However, there are specific agreements with COSLA with regard to some elements of education funding.
The Scottish Government has agreed to fully fund the expansion of early learning and childcare that was introduced through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. That amounts to £329 million over financial years 2014-15 and 2015-16. We have provided £41 million in this financial year to maintain teacher numbers in line with pupil numbers and £37.6 million to secure a place for all probationers who need one. We have agreed to provide £24.8 million in capital funding this year and £70.5 million revenue funding over this year and next to cover the delivery of free school meals to pupils in primaries 1 to 3, starting next January.
Given that the Tory and Labour parties on Stirling Council voted through a council tax reduction for 2012-13, does the cabinet secretary agree that the council should have no reason to reduce education services in Stirling or complain about grant funding levels from the Government?
As the Scottish Government has fully funded the council tax freeze, it should have no impact on the level of education services. As Stirling Council was able to reduce its council tax in 2012-13, that would suggest that the money that the Scottish Government provided was more than sufficient for the council to maintain the level of all its services.
Question 16 has been withdrawn and a satisfactory explanation has been provided.
Access to Education Fund
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the access to education fund it has received, how many were successful and how much has been awarded in grants. (S4O-03777)
There were 609 eligible applications to the access to education fund, of which 247 were successful. A total of £1,500,023 has been awarded to the successful applicants, which will directly benefit 303 schools across every local authority area in Scotland.
This morning, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning visited Forthview primary school in Edinburgh to hear from children, parents and staff how the funding will make a difference to them. The school’s successful application to the fund will enable it to develop a library to focus on literacy skills and foster a culture of reading across the school and wider school community. Its strong focus on parental engagement and working with others, and the clear commitment to access to education for all, make this a great example of how the funding is helping to break down barriers to learning across communities.
The access to education fund is for new projects; it is not supposed to supplement core funding. Given the cabinet secretary’s answer to Bruce Crawford, will the minister tell me why, if the council tax freeze is fully funded, some schools are asking parents to pay for paper, books and art resources? Does the minister accept that those things are happening and that some parents cannot make up the difference?
The fund’s purpose is to ensure that nobody faces barriers to education. For that reason, many of the successful applications have ensured that children who face disadvantages are not disadvantaged by a barrier in the form of information technology or kept from enjoying school trips, and that everyone is fully included in the life of the school.
Applications can be for up to £5,000 per school, and I believe that we have been successful in ensuring that our education system benefits all.
Modern Studies
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether modern studies should be made available at all secondary schools if 16 and 17-year-olds have the right to vote in elections. (S4O-03778)
We are delighted but not surprised at how the referendum engaged 16 and 17-year-olds, and their thoughtful and impassioned engagement in the debate created an overwhelming case for giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote in future elections. We are pleased that the Smith commission report calls on the United Kingdom Parliament to devolve the relevant power in time to allow the Scottish Parliament to extend the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds for the 2016 Scottish parliamentary elections. All young people learn about democracy and political systems as part of their broad general education.
The problem in Scotland is that the teaching of modern studies is fairly unevenly spread. How many secondary schools are there in Scotland and how many of them provide modern studies courses?
The most recent information is that 80 per cent of schools teach modern studies as a specific subject. Around 70 schools in Scotland do not teach it and many of those are smaller schools; I suspect that that is what the member is referring to. It should be said, however, that democracy and political literacy feature in the requirements of a broad general education up to the end of secondary 3. The Scottish Government takes very seriously the arguments that were successfully made that we deserve a generation of young people who are engaged in political debate.
Educational Attainment (Child Poverty)
To ask the Scottish Government how it will tackle the link between child poverty and educational attainment. (S4O-03779)
The Scottish Government and all its partners have a strong shared commitment to raising attainment and achievement for all and to closing the equity gap between children and young people who are most and least advantaged.
We support a range of activities including raising attainment for all, which works with more than 150 schools across Scotland to drive forward sustainable and consistent improvement, the school improvement partnership programme, our access to education fund and, as announced in our programme for government, attainment advisers to be based in every local authority across Scotland, as well as a clear focus on improving literacy and numeracy in primary 1 to primary 3 pupils through our read, write, count programme.
Recent reports indicate that students from more affluent backgrounds are 50 times more likely to obtain five higher A grades than students from more deprived areas, and other statistics show a huge gulf in academic achievement between affluent areas and deprived areas. Will the cabinet secretary indicate clearly what practical measures are being taken to reduce that gulf? We cannot allow our education system to maintain a situation in which students who have strong academic potential do not achieve their aims and ambitions because of the geographical area in which they grow up.
Mr McMahon and I agree that inequity anywhere in our education system is not acceptable. The Government will do everything within its existing powers to tackle poverty and inequality. I have already said to members today that my top priority as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is to raise attainment for all and to do everything that we can to close the equity in attainment gap.
I regret that we do not have more welfare powers so that we can tackle poverty. Nonetheless, with the powers that we have, we will focus on pragmatic measures on the front line in schools that will make a practical difference to the lives of our children every day and ensure that more of our children reach their full potential.
Early Learning and Childcare
To ask the Scottish Government how the expansion of funded early learning and childcare will benefit the most disadvantaged people. (S4O-03780)
Through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, we are investing £329 million in this financial year and next to expand annual funded early learning and childcare for three and four-year-olds to 600 hours. That represents an increase that will save families up to £707 per child per year. We have extended that entitlement to our most disadvantaged two-year-olds, with around 15 per cent becoming eligible in the current school year, rising to 27 per cent next year. That is more than any of our predecessors, and more hours of childcare than in any other part of the UK.
Briefly, please, Mr MacDonald.
What is the Scottish Government doing to raise awareness of funded childcare among parents and carers?
Following an initial phase of public information in the summer, we have just launched the second phase of our marketing campaign to raise awareness among parents and carers of the expanded childcare entitlement. The launch of this new phase of the campaign coincided with the cabinet secretary’s visit to Melville Street nursery in Edinburgh, and I hope that that will address some of the concerns that the member has raised.
Many thanks. That concludes question time.