Education and Lifelong Learning
Commission on Widening Access
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on establishing a commission on widening access as outlined in the programme for government 2014-15. (S4O-04124)
I am pleased to advise Parliament that, yesterday, the Scottish Government announced the appointment of Dame Ruth Silver as chair of the commission on widening access. Dame Ruth is a distinguished figure in the world of education, with a long track record of supporting social inclusion. I am delighted that she has agreed to take on this important role. Other members of the commission will be announced shortly.
I thank the cabinet secretary for her answer and I welcome the announcement.
I agreed with the First Minister when she said:
“A child born today in one of our most deprived communities should have no lesser chance of entering higher education than a child born in one of our least deprived.”
Can the cabinet secretary let me know how it is envisaged that the proposed attainment advisers, who will be crucial to the delivery of the Government’s aims, will be recruited? What is the planned timescale for their recruitment?
Mr Crawford touches on an important point that was made in the programme for government, which noted that
“the entire education system has a role to play”
in the widening access agenda. That agenda involves raising attainment in our schools for all children and, critically, closing the attainment gap between children from the least and the most deprived households.
The attainment advisers represent an important strand of that work. Initially, 12 attainment advisers will be recruited, but 32 will be in place by the end of the next financial year.
Last night, Dame Ruth said on television that the full remit of the commission on widening access was not entirely clear. Can the cabinet secretary tell Parliament when that will be known?
The remit of the commission will be finalised and agreed at the commission’s first meeting. It is proposed that the commission will synthesise existing evidence on the barriers to widening access. The commission will propose meaningful and clear milestones to drive further and faster progress; it will identify best practice on widening access among schools, colleges and universities; and it will make recommendations on how that can be scaled up and progressed.
I should have said in my reply to Mr Crawford that the commission will meet for the first time in April. There will be an interim report in the autumn and a final report in April 2016.
Scotland now has the lowest level of grant support for students from poorer families anywhere in western Europe apart from Iceland, where there are no grants at all. It is hard to imagine that that is not one of the barriers to widening access. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the commission’s remit will allow it to examine that issue?
The commission will consider a wide range of matters. It is important that the final membership of the commission is drawn from a broad range of people from various backgrounds, including universities, colleges, schools, trade unions, the early years sector and student bodies.
The commission will have to consider a number of factors. The minimum income guarantee was negotiated and discussed with people from the university sector, including students, and the priority was to put money into students’ pockets. It is the best package in the United Kingdom for the most disadvantaged students who live at home. I think that I am correct in saying that, for students living away from home, it is the second-best or third-best package in the UK.
Schools for the Future
To ask the Scottish Government how the schools for the future programme can help improve the school estate and how many pupils it impacts on. (S4O-04125)
All 32 local authorities will receive funding to improve their school estate through the £1.8 billion Scotland’s schools for the future programme. The total capital value of the 18 schools that have opened so far is £239 million. The Scottish Government’s contribution to that is almost £120 million.
Those schools show that the programme’s fantastic new, modern, state-of-the-art learning environments are something that whole communities can benefit from and be proud of for many years to come.
Once the programme is complete, more than 60,000 pupils will benefit from it.
The Highlands and Islands has received schools for the future funding, including funding for schools in Oban and Lerwick, which I very much welcome. Can the cabinet secretary confirm that the number of pupils who are in poor or bad buildings has more than halved since 2007?
Yes, I can confirm that the number of pupils who are educated in schools that are classed as being in a poor or bad condition has more than halved since 2007. The precise figures are that the proportion of pupils who are educated in such schools has fallen from around 257,000, which was 37 per cent of all pupils in 2007, to around 109,000, which is 16 per cent of all pupils in 2014. Of course, corresponding with that, the proportion of schools in good or satisfactory condition has increased from 61 per cent to 83 per cent.
Foreign Language Courses (Schools)
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand the range of foreign language courses available in schools. (S4O-04126)
As a result of this Government’s ambitious languages policy, schools all around Scotland are developing their languages provision to introduce a much earlier start and strong progression throughout a young person’s broad general education. Deciding which languages to offer is a key part of that, and many schools are finding ways to offer a more diverse range of languages than they have done previously.
Since 2010, there has been an 8 per cent increase in higher language entries.
The minister will know that there has been criticism from some quarters, not least the German consulate, about the reduction in the uptake of German in schools, with the number of pupils taking higher German falling by 20 per cent since 2009, and a 50 per cent drop in the number of specialist German teachers. Given that Germany is our second-largest export market and that we have large numbers of German tourists who, along with Americans, are the biggest spenders when they come to Scotland, is the minister concerned, as I am, about the impact on our economic potential?
I am glad that Mr Fraser has taken the opportunity to clarify the views that he seemed to take in a committee meeting recently, when he described French as “a very minor language.”
Like Mr Fraser, I support the teaching of all modern languages in schools. I have had contact with the German consulate and the cross-party group on Germany about some of the legitimate concerns that they have about ensuring that German remains to the fore in our schools.
The point about language diversity is well made. We are trying to increase the number of people who have access to modern languages in schools and we want there to be a broad range of languages that they can access, which would certainly include German.
I call Christian Allard.
Merci, Presiding Officer.
Does the minister agree that we should be supporting people to learn as many languages as possible, rather than undermining the teaching of specific languages, as Murdo Fraser did in relation to French in the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee last month?
I sympathise with those sentiments. I am sorry to return to this, but I think that it must have come as a shock to the 200 million or so people across much of Europe, north Africa and other places who speak French to be told by Murdo Fraser that it is a “minor language”. All that I can say—although I can only just say it—is that, pour moi, la langue française est très importante.
Very good!
Universities (Increase in Students from Lanarkshire)
To ask the Scottish Government how it will increase the number of students from Lanarkshire attending university. (S4O-04127)
The most recently published data from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council shows that participation in higher education increased in North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire between 2011-12 and 2012-13 by 1 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. However, this Government wants to drive up participation in higher education further, particularly among more disadvantaged students.
Across North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire, there are eight schools in the FOCUS—focus on college and university study—west schools for higher education programme. That programme, which is funded through the Scottish funding council, aims to support an increase in the number of pupils from low-progression schools who enter higher education.
This Government’s ambition is that every child, whatever their background, should have not just a better chance but an equal chance of attending university. As I said in answer to an earlier question, widening access to higher education is one of our key priorities.
The commission on widening access that was announced in the programme for government is welcome, because we must ensure that all children have an equal chance to go to university. However, does the cabinet secretary recognise that, although financial support for students is a major factor in addressing the problem, the facilities that students study in are also a significant component of any university’s ability to attract and retain students?
The cabinet secretary will be aware of the high drop-out rate of students from Lanarkshire. Does she recognise the concerns that many educationists in my area express that the Scottish funding council’s failure to support the University of the West of Scotland’s plan for a new Hamilton campus will do nothing to improve access to that university for poorer students from Lanarkshire but will, in fact, make it much more difficult for the UWS to reduce the drop-out rate?
The non-continuation rate in Scotland is improving and has decreased from 9 per cent of 2006-07 entrants to 6.6 per cent for 2011-12. I appreciate that the University of the West of Scotland has the highest non-continuation rate, but the rate is, nonetheless, improving.
Along with other MSPs from Lanarkshire, Mr McMahon has taken a keen interest in the University of the West of Scotland’s proposals and desire to develop the site in Hamilton. The funding council has said that that is one of its top priorities for its 10-year investment strategy and that it will continue to work with the UWS so that the university can continue to develop the most robust business case possible and explore alternative sources of funding.
Mr McMahon discussed the matter in detail with my predecessor; I am happy to pick up any conversations with him and other members who have expressed concern about it.
The Open University’s young applicants in schools scheme—YASS—enables secondary 6 students to study at a higher level of education in preparation for university. The cabinet secretary will be aware that that not only increases the choice of subjects that are available to the students, but builds their confidence and encourages independent learning. In view of that, what action is the Scottish Government taking to safeguard the future funding of the YASS for the academic year 2015-16?
I am happy to write to Margaret Mitchell on the detail of that. It is important that as many routes as possible are open to young people to pursue higher education. Certainly, the courses that the Open University provides have a valuable place in that spectrum of opportunities that we need to safeguard and protect.
Scottish Literature and Drama (Schools)
To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages the study of Scottish literature and drama in schools. (S4O-04128)
Curriculum national guidance encourages teachers to use Scottish literature and drama as a rich part of young people’s learning. That can be done through whole-school events, such as theatre productions and poetry competitions, and through the books that pupils choose from their school libraries and study in class.
The study of Scottish literature in the senior phase of secondary schools is also encouraged by the inclusion of a specific question on Scottish literature in the new higher and national 5 English qualifications.
The minister will be aware of the controversy over the decision of the rector of Webster’s high school in my constituency to stop the play “Black Watch” being studied there as part of the higher drama course because, in her judgment, some of the content was inappropriate for 15-year-olds. Does the minister believe that it is appropriate to leave such decisions in the hands of individual senior teachers when the decisions will inevitably be subjective and could expose the teachers to what some might consider to be unfair criticism? How can we ensure a consistent approach—at least throughout individual local authority areas—to pupils’ access to contemporary material so that staff are not placed in the difficult position in which the rector of Webster’s high school has been placed?
Graeme Dey will appreciate that there is a long tradition of allowing teachers in schools to make decisions about how they teach individual classes and the texts that they use. It is obviously quite legitimate for authors, public figures or any of us to express a view about that, but I make it clear that ministers do not set the texts that are used daily in schools. To pick up on the member’s point, anyone who has a reason to complain about any such matters obviously has recourse to the school or, failing that, to the local authority.
The minister will be aware of the recent investigation that revealed that an average of 70p per month per head is being spent on books in Scotland’s schools, with a clear postcode lottery across local authority areas. Scottish novelist Shari Low has said that those figures represent a
“misplacement of priorities at the ... heart of Government policy”
and the Educational Institute of Scotland has called on the Scottish Government to invest additional funding. Can the minister make a commitment to address that issue?
Mark Griffin can certainly expect further announcements in the future about our commitments in that respect. It is important to say that the Government is clearly committed not just to literature but to literacy in schools. We regard the provision of books as one of our priorities in that area. I certainly see literacy, love of books and provision of books as being closely linked together.
Occupational Segregation (Work with Educational Institutions)
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking with educational institutions to tackle occupational segregation. (S4O-04129)
Occupational segregation is a complex and deep-rooted problem, but we are determined to make progress.Action is taking place on a number of fronts. For example, tackling gender imbalance on college courses is a strategic priority for the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council. To that end, it is working with Skills Development Scotland and key stakeholders on a gender action plan. Tackling gender imbalance is also a top priority of the developing the young workforce programme, which has targets to increase the minority gender share in the most imbalanced college subject courses and modern apprenticeship frameworks.
SDS is also working with education partners including schools on a number of pilots that are seeking to understand and tackle the causes of educational and occupational segregation.
I thank the cabinet secretary for her response. In 2008-09, there were 28 female engineering apprentices, compared with 1,312 male apprentices. Last year, the figure had risen to a staggering 68 female engineering apprentices compared with 1,401 male apprentices. The increase being only eight more women a year does not suggest that the measures are working very effectively.
I am sure that the cabinet secretary shares my view that the pace of change is far too slow, so I ask her, based on her previous reply, what target she thinks should be in place, which the Government will promote, so that we achieve better female representation among engineering apprentices?
It is fair to say that progress has not been quick enough in that area. That is why the Government most certainly wants to pick up the pace. Although full-time equivalence in terms of engineering students has improved, we want nonetheless to improve the number of young women who pursue such careers—and who, of course, pursue those careers through choice. It is important that we view our education system in its entirety. We discussed earlier how our whole education system has a role in improving widening access. Similarly, the whole system has a role in tackling gender segregation.
The developing the young workforce programme has a range of performance indicators, 11 of which relate to equality, with stretching targets underpinning them. The aspiration is that some of those targets will be met by 2020. As I said in my original answer, there is a focus on the most imbalanced courses—the ones in which there is a 75:25 or worse gender imbalance. For the first time, the funding council and SDS have additional reporting requirements and monitoring arrangements in this area. I am very hopeful about the seven early-adopter regions that are part of the developing the young workforce programme, and there are some very important pilots.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that there should be no such thing as a male job or female job, and that any perception that such unhealthy boundaries still exist needs to be changed?
Yes, I do. It is, however, also important that we value the work to which women have traditionally been attracted. We want to enable young men and young women to make informed choices about opportunities that best fit their talents and aspirations. I am on record as saying that I want more young men to pursue careers in childcare.
Occupational segregation is an important issue that we need to unpick and unravel because it not only contributes to the pay gap but affects the overall career progression of women.
Career Advice and Subject Choice (Scottish Qualifications Authority and Local Authority Discussions)
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions have taken place between the SQA and local authorities regarding pupils’ career advice and subject choice. (S4O-04130)
The Scottish Qualifications Authority has regular meetings with local authorities in its role as Scotland’s national qualifications body.
Through that, and through engagement with employers, SQA seeks to ensure that all its qualifications help learners to develop skills for learning, life and work. It also provides a range of specific work-related qualifications. However, advice on careers and subject choices is a matter for Skills Development Scotland, local authorities and individual schools.
The commission for developing Scotland’s young workforce, chaired by Sir Ian Wood, highlighted the area of subject choice. Areas for improvement include timetabling and subject choice columns, which many participants reported as being a barrier that prevents young people from choosing the subjects that are most relevant to their future career pathways.
What discussions have taken place with local authorities in that regard? Will the minister agree to investigate that particular aspect of career advice and subject choice to ensure that our young people are given the best career opportunities in school?
Nanette Milne raises a valuable point about the advice that is provided to young people. The direction of travel at present is towards providing that advice at an earlier age. The broad general education from first to third year in secondary schools now provides a much more positive environment in which choices can be made. It provides an opportunity for people to get the depth in subjects that allows them to make choices later in school that relate to their careers.
Above all, we must ensure that young people understand the breadth of choices available to them in the world of work, which is what we provide.
Post-study Work Visa (Discussions with the United Kingdom Government)
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding reintroducing the post-study work visa in Scotland. (S4O-04131)
The Scottish Government is committed to working with the UK Government, as the Smith report recommended, to ensure that a post-study work route is put in place to allow talented international students to remain in Scotland after graduation to gain further experience and contribute to our economy and society.
Scottish Government and UK Government officials met on 23 January, and again on 13 March, to discuss a potential post-study work route that would allow international students to remain in Scotland for a defined period of time after graduation.
Recent evidence to the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee suggested that Scotland has a significant global presence in the software games industry, but that its growth is hampered partly by an inability to retain foreign information technology students who have qualified here as a result of the current visa application regime.
On that basis, does the cabinet secretary agree that the sooner visa management and approval are devolved fully to Scotland, the better?
Yes, I agree with Chic Brodie, and I agree that the immigration system needs to respond to Scotland’s specific needs. That means supporting economic growth by enabling our industries to attract and retain the best and the brightest global talent. It is time that the UK immigration system delivered that for Scotland.
There is cross-sectoral support for the reintroduction of post-study work visas. As a country, our higher education sector and our economy need to be connected to new and emerging economies in particular.
Question 9, from Claudia Beamish, has been withdrawn and an explanation has been provided.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention (Aberdeenshire)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Aberdeenshire Council to discuss the recruitment and retention of teachers. (S4O-04133)
The recruitment and retention of teachers was one of a number of matters that were discussed when I met representatives from Aberdeenshire Council on Monday 16 February to discuss the commitment to teacher numbers. Specifically, I met Councillor Isobel Davidson, Maria Walker, who is the director of education, and Jim Savege, the chief executive officer. Aberdeenshire Council wrote to the Deputy First Minister on 20 February to confirm that it will maintain teacher numbers.
I thank the cabinet secretary for that information. She is probably aware that many of the schools in my constituency of Aberdeenshire West are quite rural. There used to be a threat that some smaller schools would be closed because of a lack of pupils. Obviously, we want to ensure that we do not have any school closures because of a lack of teachers in rural schools. Will the cabinet secretary confirm that everything possible will be done to retain teacher numbers in rural communities, as schools are the heart of such communities?
Yes. The Government is particularly alert to the challenges for rural Scotland. For the past four consecutive years, student teacher intake targets for universities have been increased. The University of Aberdeen has received a disproportionate increase in the number of additional places for primary school teachers, taking its target intake up from 161 to 208. We are funding the University of Aberdeen to work more closely with local authorities to train existing employees, such as classroom assistants, through a part-time postgraduate diploma in education course that is done through distance learning. Those are employees who would not otherwise have given up their jobs to train full time as teachers. I know that Aberdeenshire Council has employees who are following that route into teaching.
South Lanarkshire Council Education Department (Meetings)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met South Lanarkshire Council’s education department and what issues where discussed. (S4O-04134)
Education Scotland and South Lanarkshire Council meet regularly to discuss a variety of issues related to education. The most recent meeting was on 23 February, when a number of issues were discussed, including inspection activity, activity to raise attainment and professional learning opportunities for senior leaders. Scottish Government officials are due to meet South Lanarkshire Council on 14 April to discuss the monitoring of the council’s commitment to maintain teacher numbers and the pupil teacher ratio.
I commend the Scottish Government on securing the deal with South Lanarkshire Council to maintain teacher numbers and I welcome the forthcoming meeting in April. Is the minister aware that the council got round the issue of maintaining teacher numbers by cutting 16 teachers from nurseries and early learning centres, such as the excellent facility at Ferniegair in my constituency? Primary 1 class numbers will now rise above 18 and kids with the most pressing learning challenges are being left behind by the council leadership at policy level.
Can I have a question, please?
The leadership has a terrible track record on supporting the youngest and most vulnerable. Will the minister secure a meeting with the executive director—which he may have done—as it seems that the executive director feels that he should not have to meet me to discuss this important issue?
I am aware that South Lanarkshire Council has agreed to cut a number of teachers from its early learning and childcare centres. It is for local authorities to take decisions on how best to deploy teachers. I understand the concerns that the member raises from a local point of view and I know that she will not be slow in making those concerns very well known.
Early Years Education
To ask the Scottish Government what value it places on early years education. (S4O-04135)
The Scottish Government places a very high value on early years education and has made early learning and childcare a top priority. We have committed to developing high-quality flexible early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible for all families, focusing initially on those who are most in need.
Since 2007, we have increased early learning and childcare to 600 hours for three and four-year-olds, which is more than anywhere else in the UK. We have extended the offer and will reach over a quarter of two-year-olds from August 2015. We have started planning towards our commitment to double the amount of early learning and childcare to 30 hours a week by the end of the next session of Parliament, if we are re-elected to government in 2016.
The minister will no doubt be aware that Labour-run West Dunbartonshire decided to cut the school week by 2.5 hours for primary 1 to primary 3 pupils and that it was only due to a massive campaign, powered by parents, that the decision was reversed. Will the minister outline what discussions she has had with local authorities to ensure that no other council will try to implement that devastating cut to our children’s education?
It is for individual local authorities to determine the length and structure of the school day. The statutory requirement is that schools must be open for 190 days, but best practice would be to consult pupils, parents and the community before making any changes to current structures.
Educational Attainment (Impact of Severe Deprivation)
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact is of severe deprivation on a child’s educational attainment. (S4O-04136)
The impact of severe deprivation on attainment starts early. The growing up in Scotland study identified that by the age of five the gap in vocabulary development is already 13 months, and it grows throughout primary and secondary school. In the 10 per cent most deprived areas of Scotland, fewer than one in three pupils leave school with at least one higher; in the most affluent areas, more than four out of five do.
Until we close the attainment gap and ensure that all Scotland’s children and young people get an equal chance in our schools, education will not fulfil its full potential as a societal good. That is why last month we launched the Scottish attainment challenge, backed up by the £100 million attainment Scotland fund, to bring a renewed focus and urgency to tackling the attainment gap, building on the progress that has been made in recent years.
The education secretary said that she wants to target her attainment fund at council areas with high levels of deprivation. She should be well aware that Renfrewshire has the most deprived area in the whole of Scotland, Ferguslie Park, yet, shockingly, Renfrewshire Council will not receive additional funding from the attainment fund. That is completely unjustifiable. Why does the education secretary believe that children from the poorest community in Scotland and other children in Renfrewshire should not benefit from the Scottish National Party Government’s attainment fund, and will she reconsider her damaging decision?
I understand local members’ passion and their role in advocating for their local areas, and I am aware that there are deep pockets of deprivation in Paisley and Renfrewshire, as there are in other areas of Scotland, such as Fife. [Interruption.]
Order, please.
Perhaps if you could let me reply to your question with the courtesy that I afforded you, Mr Bibby, you might like the answer.
Cabinet secretary, please speak through the chair. I have asked Neil Bibby to keep order.
I beg your pardon, Presiding Officer. I take very seriously issues that members raise on local areas.
The member is right that we decided that seven councils—Glasgow, Dundee, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire and North Lanarkshire—would benefit from the Scottish attainment challenge in the first year, focusing on those areas with the highest concentration of primary school children from households in the Scottish index of multiple deprivation deciles 1 and 2. We used a very clear methodology to work out how to use that resource in the first year. I am conscious that there are many areas in Scotland with deep pockets of deprivation. The Government and I will continue to work with local authorities to identify and respond to areas of concentrated need.
Non-teaching Staff (Schools)
To ask the Scottish Government how many non-teaching staff there are in schools and how this compares with 2013-14. (S4O-04137)
In September 2014 there were 20,597 non-teaching staff in Scottish local authority schools, compared with 20,923 in September 2013.
The minister will recognise that science technicians play a vital role in preparing science equipment and lessons in schools across Scotland and that having access to practical science is essential for pupils. Is he concerned about the replies to a freedom of information request that I submitted showing that there has been a steady reduction in science technician numbers, and close to a 10 per cent reduction since this Government took office? Is he committed to reversing that trend and investing in the development of essential science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills?
I understand the points that the member makes. In answer to his second point, I would say that the Government is very committed to investing in STEM. That is why there are so many new school buildings going up with new science facilities in them. It is also why the Government recognises the central role of STEM in its curriculum. I am encouraged by the fact that more and more people are taking STEM subjects to the level of higher and that more people are getting STEM subject highers. Certainly additional staff in the schools play a role in that.
There has been an overall 1.6 per cent reduction in non-teaching staff in schools over the period that I mentioned, but I believe that the Scottish Government is deeply committed to science subjects.
Primary School Week Reduction (Falkirk)
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Falkirk Council regarding its proposal to reduce the primary school week from 25 to 22.5 hours in 2016-17. (S4O-04138)
Falkirk Council wrote to the Deputy First Minister on 19 February 2015 to confirm its commitment to maintain teacher numbers. Falkirk Council has confirmed to us its 2016-17 provisional budget proposal to reduce the primary school week from 25 hours to 22.5 hours from August 2016, which will deliver a reduction in teacher costs. However, we understand that discussions are on-going locally regarding the implications of that change. As the member will be aware, statutory responsibility for the provision of education rests with individual local authorities, which includes the requirement that all schools must be open for 190 days.
I am pleased to tell the cabinet secretary that, following my lodging of this question last week, Falkirk Council has quietly announced a U-turn on its ludicrous proposal to reduce primary school hours. I am sure that, like me, she welcomes the climb-down. Will she impress upon all local authorities that she meets that playing local politics with children’s attainment, and creating anxiety among parents who want the best for their children, is not a clever tactic, even for the Labour-Tory coalition in Falkirk?
Although statutory responsibility for the provision of education rests with local authorities, I do indeed welcome the change of heart. It is imperative that local authorities demonstrate to parents and to the wider community that any changes of this nature have an educational benefit and that their proposals are in the best interest of children. I have consistently made clear that the Government would not support any steps taken by Falkirk Council or other councils to cut the length of the school week with a view to reducing teacher numbers. The Government has made it clear that we are committed to raising attainment and to closing the attainment gap. That is an aspiration that I believe we can all unite behind. I do not believe that reducing teacher numbers is the best way to achieve it.
College Students (Support)
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to college students. (S4O-04139)
College students are better supported than ever before. In the current academic year, we are investing a record £104 million in further education student support, with students getting bursaries of up to £93.03 per week. Unlike the United Kingdom Government, we have also retained the education maintenance allowance, which 35,515 school pupils and college students benefited from in 2012-13.
There is no doubt that getting young people into college and further education ultimately benefits them and has a knock-on effect for the Scottish economy. It is unfortunate that that has been undermined by the Scottish National Party’s cuts to college places and this year’s £7 million reduction in student support. Does the cabinet secretary therefore welcome Scottish Labour’s policy announcement of support for higher education bursaries to the tune of £58 million, which will benefit communities and young people throughout Scotland and result in many more skilled people graduating from college?
James Kelly’s proposals very much depend on there being a Labour Government elected in May. [Interruption.]
Order.
We will wait and see. I am not one to speculate based on the polls, but my priority is to keep out a Tory Government. [Interruption.]
Order, please. We must hear the cabinet secretary.
It is interesting that, given Ed Miliband’s announcement this week, he seems to be a little lacklustre on that commitment. We would put aside our party interests in the interests of the country to lock out a Tory Government. [Interruption.]
Order, please. Cabinet secretary, can I hurry you along? We are well over time.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I apologise to the members whose questions we did not reach and to all those who wanted to ask supplementary questions, but we must move to the next item of business.
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In-work Poverty