Official Report 1177KB pdf
Education and Skills
Good afternoon. The next item of business is portfolio question time, and the portfolio on this occasion is education and skills. There is quite a bit of interest in asking supplementary questions, so I make the usual appeal for brevity in questions and responses.
Single-sex Spaces (Schools)
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its revised guidance on supporting transgender pupils in schools, whether it can guarantee that, effective immediately, single-sex spaces, including toilets and changing rooms, have been made available to all girls during school hours. (S6O-05050)
Under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, education authorities have the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education. The Scottish Government therefore does not carry the legal responsibility for the management of schools, or of their facilities, including the provision of toilets and changing rooms, which is a matter for education authorities.
The Scottish Government’s role is to provide education authorities and schools with non-statutory guidance to inform their work in relation to the legal requirements and associated national policies. The guidance that was published last week fulfils that role. For the avoidance of doubt, that updated guidance reflects the Supreme Court judgment and states that
“separate toilet facilities for boys and girls must be provided in schools”
and that
“the facilities require to be made available on the basis of biological sex”.
Parents have informed me that girls’ toilets in secondary schools in Angus are being locked during the school day, which is denying girls their legal right to single-sex spaces. That, as the cabinet secretary has just outlined, is illegal. What immediate steps is the Scottish Government taking to ensure that every girl in every school has unrestricted access to single-sex toilets, as required by the law?
I thank Tess White for raising that point. I am not sighted on the specifics relating to Angus Council, but I will go back to my officials in relation to toilets being locked during the school day. More broadly, she will be aware of the guidance that we published last week following the Supreme Court ruling. That guidance is intended to bring clarity to the teaching profession and to young people in our schools and was our response to the Supreme Court ruling. I am more than happy to take away the specific issue that she has raised.
I welcome the engagement that the Scottish Government has undertaken with parents and carers, education representatives, LGBT organisations and women’s organisations to develop the recent guidance. Will the cabinet secretary provide more detail about how that will ensure that support for trans children continues in schools?
The purpose of the guidance is to support our councils and schools in their support for transgender pupils. We know that those matters are really complex and that education authorities will continue to consider the wellbeing of all their pupils, including transgender pupils, as they navigate the support that is required in schools.
The guidance offers advice on legal, policy and practical matters and draws together the signposting of support for parents and carers and for young people. It recognises that those highly personal decisions can be challenging for young people and their families, and for councils and schools, to navigate. The guidance seeks to provide support to those working in our schools as they navigate that complex issue for all.
Further and Higher Education (Financial Situation)
I welcome the minister to his new position.
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported jobs and cuts crisis in further and higher education. (S6O-05051)
I thank Richard Leonard for the warm welcome and express to him that the Scottish Government values and works to support all those who work in further and higher education in our country. I have valued the opportunities to express that since coming into post less than a month ago.
Our most recent budget allowed the Scottish Funding Council to increase revenue funding to colleges by 2.6 per cent and funding to universities by 3.3 per cent. However, we recognise the pressures that both sectors face, which have been set out clearly by Audit Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council. My ministerial colleagues and I will continue to work collaboratively on those challenges with both sectors and with the Parliament.
The Alloa campus of Forth Valley College remains under threat. The principal told me this week that
“Without intervention the college is forecast to run out of cash by December 2026 and would become insolvent”.
In a written answer last week, the minister told me that the closure of the Alloa campus was “ultimately ... an operational matter” for the college. If it is not the job of the Minister for Higher and Further Education to defend access to further education in one of our most deprived communities, I do not know what his job is, so will he give an assurance to Parliament and to the people of Clackmannanshire, this afternoon, that the Alloa campus will not be downgraded and will not be closed?
I thank Richard Leonard for his engagement on the matter. In relation to the Alloa campus, I have valued questions from members across the chamber, including from Keith Brown last week, who have advocated on behalf of the campus.
We recognise that, as has been set out, including in the Audit Scotland report this week, colleges are anchor bodies in communities. The Alloa campus plays an important role in helping young people and others in Clackmannanshire to fulfil their potential, build their skills and contribute fully.
The Scottish Government is engaged on the issue, as members would expect. Ministers are regularly being updated on the matter and, crucially, the Scottish Funding Council is engaged with Forth Valley College on the Alloa campus. We will continue to update the Parliament as appropriate, and we will continue our proactive engagement with the Scottish Funding Council.
The Audit Scotland report is not only a wake-up call for ministers; it should act as an alarm bell for them. Scotland’s colleges face a dire financial future under this Government. After a decade of dire public warnings from colleges and others about their future, what future funding models and new funding models will the Scottish Government bring forward to save our colleges?
Following the Audit Scotland report last week, and prior to that with regard to the Scottish Funding Council reports, we have collectively discussed in the Parliament, and at length, the importance of colleges as anchor institutions, which I mentioned earlier, and the roles that they play in enhancing skills, creating a fairer society and providing locally accessible learning facilities.
As well as appreciating my engagement with the Parliament so far, I welcome the positive engagement that I have had with Colleges Scotland, as the body that represents colleges. I had a really good visit to Kelvin College in Glasgow earlier this week. We need to have engagement with the college sector on sustainable funding, and we look forward to having that further engagement in the weeks and months ahead. I look forward to my next meeting with Colleges Scotland and discussing how we can collectively bring everyone with an interest round the table to ensure that we support our colleges and provide sustainable funding into the future.
Thank you, minister. We are going to need a little more brevity in responses.
Energy Transition Skills and Qualifications (Aberdeen)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how to support people in Aberdeen to gain the skills and qualifications needed for the energy transition, to ensure that north-east Scotland has a world-leading workforce. (S6O-05052)
The cabinet secretary maintains regular communication with Cabinet colleagues on matters of importance to the Government, including supporting people in Aberdeen and elsewhere to gain the skills for the energy transition in the north-east, which is a key priority. We will continue to work with regional partners to help to ensure that the workforce is equipped for the opportunities ahead. Targeted funding is already in place to support skills for the energy transition, in recognition of high demand, and colleagues and I will continue to engage with all partners, including Jackie Dunbar, in this shared endeavour.
It is hugely important that we harness the potential of our young people and workers who are needed for the energy transition and that we assist in facilitating pathways to success. Does the minister share my view that cross-sector joint working is crucial to achieving that objective?
We are committed to boosting skills among Scotland’s young people, especially in vital sectors such as those relating to the energy transition. Although we pursue long-term reform of post-school education and skills, we recognise that there is an urgent need to meet current demands. That is why we are providing targeted funding to colleges in 2025-26 for an offshore wind skills programme. That will create training hubs to build the skilled workforce that is needed for our offshore wind ambitions and will support the upskilling and reskilling that will aid energy transition. The funding enables new courses to be provided, strengthens college staff capacity and invests in facilities across strategically important regions for the offshore wind industry.
In addition, alongside the United Kingdom Government, we are providing up to £2 million of funding to Forth Valley College to support workers at Grangemouth to transition into those key sectors.
Higher History (Fluctuation in Results)
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it considers the percentage of students earning an A, B or C in higher history fluctuated by 27.6 per cent between 2023 and 2025. (S6O-05053)
There are always year-on-year fluctuations in pass rates in both directions for individual courses. The Scottish Qualifications Authority has worked in partnership with history teachers to develop and deliver an enhanced and well-received understanding standards programme. Following the 13 per cent dip last year, I was pleased to see that the pass rate improved by 14.6 per cent this year.
The SQA quality-assured awarding process, which includes grade boundary checks, confirmed that the assessments worked as intended and that the national standard was consistently applied. Candidates can be confident that their results in both years reflect the hard work and achievement.
I am sorry, but I do not think that candidates can be confident. The SQA’s internal review of the 2024 higher history exam blamed the students, yet we now see the exam results back up to pre-2024 levels. Does the cabinet secretary not accept that that means that the SQA’s review—a review that she whole-heartedly supported—was wrong? Does she understand that students who got lower-than-expected grades in 2024 feel a sense of injustice and that their marks were not sound?
I thank Mr Ross for his interest in this matter. We have discussed it at length in front of his committee, but I want to put on the record and reassure him that I pressed the issue with previous management at the SQA on no less than three occasions. Of course, there has also been an independent report into the processes that were applied.
It is worth recounting, however, that pass rates vary year on year. I can cite other examples, such as that the national 5 graphic communications pass rate fell from 74.2 per cent in 2023 to 64.8 per cent in 2024, and then it increased again to 76.7 per cent in 2025. There will always be variations.
There were issues in relation to higher history last year—I accept that—and the SQA took a number of different actions in that regard, not least in relation to the support to the profession, but also through additional support for teachers of higher history and markers being put in place. The markers’ report was also reviewed and updated. The markers’ report is important, because it looks at the national standard and identifies strengths and weaknesses in performance. Markers were given the form earlier this year so that it could be used by all markers who are undertaking coursework and question paper marking in 2025. It is also a matter of public record that the SQA carried out an independent review that looked into the matters in detail at that time.
Although the Opposition looks to discredit the dedication of Scotland’s students through persistent negativity about Scotland’s schools, this year’s SQA results showed record levels of achievement. Can the cabinet secretary speak further on the overall performance of Scotland’s schools, notably in relation to the narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap? [Interruption.]
I can hear someone to my left muttering the word “shameful”, but I thank Paul McLennan for highlighting the achievements of our young people in Scotland this year, which have been remarkable. A record number of vocational and technical qualifications were achieved, and pass rates for nat 4, nat 5, higher and advanced higher were up compared to last year. The poverty-related attainment gap has also narrowed for nat 5, higher and advanced higher when compared to last year. We also had 95.7 per cent of school leavers in initial positive destinations in 2024, which is our second-highest level ever. Of course, there is more work to do, particularly in relation to the attainment gap, but I certainly welcome the progress that we have seen this year in relation to our exam results.
Education (Highlands and Islands)
To ask the Scottish Government what challenges are faced by those delivering education across the Highlands and Islands. (S6O-05054)
The statutory responsibility for delivering education lies with local authorities, and we recognise the unique challenges that are faced by those in the Highlands and Islands. We are actively engaged with councils and stakeholders in the region. I have met Highlands and Islands Enterprise to discuss rural childcare accessibility. The cabinet secretary and ministerial colleagues have also visited to hear directly from communities.
The forthcoming national islands plan and rural delivery plan will include education as a strategic priority. Those plans aim to ensure that communities have a genuine voice in decisions that affect local education provision and ultimately improve outcomes for learners.
In January last year, my Conservative colleague Councillor Helen Crawford presented a motion to the Highland Council calling on it to declare a school estate emergency, based on the fact that it has the poorest school estate in Scotland. The council’s Scottish National Party-led administration refused to do so.
More than one third of Highland schools are now classed as being in a state of disrepair, with 53 primaries and 11 secondaries falling below acceptable standards. Given that clear neglect of rural education, can the minister explain why—after 18 years of Government—the SNP is still failing to deliver safe and efficient learning environments for Highland pupils?
First, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate. We are aware that some schools in the Highland Council and Moray Council areas are in an unsatisfactory condition. Two of the deconditioned schools in the region—Forres and Nairn academies—are being replaced through the learning estate investment programme. There are plans from each council for the other two de-conditioned schools—Charleston and Alves. We will continue to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, local authorities and the Scottish Futures Trust to explore how we can deliver further improvements.
With a reminder that the substantive question is around education access in the Highlands and Islands, I call Jamie Hepburn.
Will the minister set out how Scottish Government schemes, such as the preference waiver payment, assist in overcoming any challenges in education associated with geographical location?
The Scottish Government recognises the challenges that are posed by geographical location in delivering education, particularly in remote and rural areas. The preference waiver payment is an incentive to attract newly qualified teachers to more remote and rural local authorities that experience difficulties in securing probationers.
Currently, the PWP is £6,000 per annum for primary teachers and £8,000 per annum for secondary teachers, and it is paid in addition to the probationer’s salary. It is complemented by the remote schools allowance and targeted funding to protect teacher numbers. Those measures all form part of a broader strategy, including the forthcoming national islands plan and rural delivery plan, which I have already mentioned. Together, those initiatives support equitable access to high-quality education across all parts of Scotland.
Bullying (Schools)
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports of a rise in recorded bullying incidents in schools. (S6O-05055)
I have made it clear that I expect all incidents of bullying to be recorded and that, with more rigorous recording, the number of recorded incidents will likely increase. That reflects a crucial part of our on-going commitment to transparency, ensuring that every allegation is taken seriously and that all children and young people are properly supported.
To support schools, we published updated national anti-bullying guidance in November of last year, which includes guidance on recording and monitoring. We also continue to fully fund respectme, Scotland’s anti-bullying service, to build confidence and capacity to address bullying effectively.
With more than 64,000 bullying incidents logged in just five years and growing reports of violence against teachers, it is clear that violence and intimidation are becoming routine in Scotland’s schools. Does the cabinet secretary agree with the First Minister’s claim yesterday that the Scottish National Party Government has not failed in education, when it is evident that it is failing to protect pupils and staff from harm?
Douglas Lumsden might be interested in a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education that was published in early 2023, which looked at the quantum of bullying incidents that have been recorded and noted that only two thirds of our schools recorded bullying incidents effectively. We therefore know that a number of schools currently do not recording bullying incidents.
In my time as education secretary, I have been clear that we want all schools to record all incidents and allegations. We need to have a clear national picture. In doing that, I accept and recognise that it might lead to an increase in the number of incidents that are recorded, but it is important to have that information to inform our support to our schools. That has been done primarily from an education perspective, driven through the national action plan on behaviour and relationships, which has been co-produced with local authorities and our teaching trade unions. It has been hugely important to have co-operative partnership working on this really important issue in our schools.
Bullying is categorically unacceptable in Scotland’s schools and in our society. Will the cabinet secretary provide details of engagement with teachers and parents, who interact with our young people day in, day out, in shaping guidance on responding to challenging behaviour?
I engage with parents and teachers on a regular basis. This morning, I met the headteacher panel and, earlier this week, I was in Orkney meeting parents and carers and listening to some of their concerns at the current time.
We published the guidance, “Fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment”, to support our school staff in relation to challenging behaviour. As I have set out previously, the Scottish advisory group on relationships and behaviour in schools includes representatives from our teaching unions and Connect, our parent organisation, which has been hugely important in providing the oversight and necessary experience in the development of the guidance.
Widening Access (Universities)
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in further widening access to university education for people in the most disadvantaged communities. (S6O-05056)
The number of Scots from the most deprived areas who enter university has increased by 37 per cent since the Scottish Government established the commission on widening access, and the latest Universities and Colleges Admissions Service statistics show that record numbers of young Scots from deprived areas were accepted to study at university in 2025.
However, we know that there is more to do. We will continue to work with the sector, and with the commissioner for fair access, to make further progress on fair access to higher education. That includes our on-going exploration of data-sharing options to better support disadvantaged individuals and communities.
Will the minister set out how the support that is available for mature and care-experienced students to access and succeed in university compares with that in other United Kingdom nations? What assessment has the Scottish Government made of the effectiveness of those measures in reducing inequalities in higher education?
I thank the member for raising those important matters. The Scottish Government continues to provide unparalleled support to care-experienced students in the form of a non-means-tested bursary of £9,000—the first of its kind in the UK. All of Scotland’s universities are committed to guaranteeing a university place to care-experienced applicants who meet minimum entry requirements. I am proud that there has been an increase in care-experienced students attending university every year since 2016. Support for mature learners is also a priority, and we continue to fund the Scottish wider access programme, which supports thousands of learners to return to higher education each year.
Although entry numbers have increased, course completion is still a problem. The most recent figures show a retention rate of 86.1 per cent for students from the most deprived communities versus 92.1 per cent for those from the least deprived. There is now a gap of six percentage points, which is up from a gap of 4.5 percentage points 10 years ago. Does the minister agree that getting into university or college is not enough? We must support students to complete their courses. If he agrees, how does he think that cuts to discretionary funds and to student mental health support will impact widening access?
The member is right that we need to support people through their journey. That is why provision through the Scottish loan system and Student Awards Agency Scotland support is significant and makes an important difference for people throughout their journey.
As I said in my first answer, I appreciate that there is more work to do. We have made a lot of progress since 2016, and I would be pleased to engage with Pam Duncan-Glancy on those points as we collectively try not just to enhance the opportunities of people going to university but to help them to complete their journey and succeed thereafter.
The latest figures show that University of Highlands and Islands student numbers have fallen by 6,000. UHI has faced a number of challenges, including mergers, staff cuts and, of course, the funding issues that have plagued the sector in the past 18 years. What impact does the minister think that that will have on the disadvantaged and often remote communities across my Highlands and Islands region?
I have welcomed engagement on UHI since coming into post, including from Jamie Halcro Johnston and the members who are sitting behind him. The provision across the Highlands and Islands, which is, of course, a wide geographical area, is extremely important for those communities and for the country more widely.
It is important to recognise that, when students go to a university in Scotland, their fees are paid for by the Government—by the taxpayer. That helps people to access those opportunities. There is a situation, as set out by the Scottish Funding Council, with regard to the sustainable funding of the sector, and I spoke earlier about how we are engaged in that and how we engage with Universities Scotland.
Youth Work (Budget Decisions)
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on youth work provision of its budget decisions, in light of the most recent YouthLink Scotland survey indicating that the majority of young people accessing youth work do so through the voluntary sector. (S6O-05057)
As Parliament knows from contributions that I have made previously, I highly value youth work, and I am looking at ways to provide further support. At present, the Scottish Government funds youth work provision in a variety of ways, most prominently through local authority block grants, which give councils significant autonomy to provide youth work in their area.
I am aware that the minister genuinely values youth work. When I launched my proposed youth work (Scotland) bill at the Citadel Youth Centre in Leith, I saw first hand how transformative voluntary provision can be and, indeed, how the minister takes interest in that place. However, YouthLink’s latest survey shows that the majority of young people who access youth work do so through voluntary organisations, and that many such organisations are struggling to meet rising demands. What are the minister’s specific plans to strengthen voluntary and statutory provision so that no young person misses out?
I am looking forward to engaging with the youth work sector in my role and will be doing so in the weeks ahead. The member speaks about youth work in terms of preventative spending and its power to help young people to realise their potential, which allows them to contribute more to society and the economy. I believe in that deeply, and I see it in my local constituency through organisations such as the Citadel Youth Centre. I have forgiven the member for not inviting me to the launch of his bill in my constituency in Leith.
Although I not dismissing the considerations around the need for primary legislation, most important, we must consider the current needs in communities, which I am engaged with. We have provided a lot of additional resource—more than £1.1 billion in 2025-26, which is a real-terms increase of 5.5 per cent—to local authorities. Without disrespecting the Verity house agreement, we need to consider whether local authorities are investing enough in youth work and what other ways we can provide additional youth work support where there is need and demand, given the current circumstances.
I can squeeze in a very brief supplementary question.
Is there anything else that the minister can say about the role of local authorities in allocating resources for youth work?
I recognise that local authorities have significant resource and a responsibility to invest in youth work. We are investing through other avenues where we can, including through Youth Scotland and YouthLink Scotland. We have invested £2 million since 2023 through community-based national youth work organisations. I will continue to consider how central Government, working with local government, while respecting the Verity house agreement, can support the important contribution that youth work makes to our communities.
That concludes portfolio questions. There will be a brief pause before we move to the next item of business to allow front bench teams to change position.