Education and Lifelong Learning
Opportunities for All (Dundee)
Opportunities for all is the Scottish Government’s policy for ensuring that there is an offer of learning or training for every 16 to 19-year-old in Scotland who is currently not in education, employment or work. It brings together a range of existing national and local offers in a coherent way, which will better support our young people’s participation in post-16 learning or training and, ultimately, employment, through appropriate intervention and support. We are prioritising provision for 16 to 19-year-olds in higher and further education, national training programmes such as the modern apprenticeship and get ready for work programmes, and a range of local provision to support young people to progress toward and into work.
I welcome the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to tackle youth unemployment. Those steps contrast starkly with the policies of the United Kingdom coalition Government, which are at the root of the problem.
Mr FitzPatrick touches on an important point. A sense of progression and achievement for our young people has to be at the heart of everything we do. Let us look at our modern apprenticeship programme, for example. All apprentices in Scotland must be employed, which means that apprenticeships are directly linked to real and sustainable job opportunities. The modern apprenticeship programme is shaped and influenced by growth sectors, so there is a clear link between provision and the economy. Most important is that modern apprenticeships are more than just jobs; they are the first step in careers. Much else in our national training programmes has work experience at its heart.
I hope that we can make progress on youth unemployment in Dundee and elsewhere. For some months, I have been trying to secure a meeting with the Minister for Youth Employment to gain support for a project in my region that would take 12 young people off the dole, but no meeting has been forthcoming. When organisations have a well-established training programme to tackle youth unemployment, surely it is incumbent on the minister to meet members to discuss such important issues.
My concern about Mr Findlay’s request is that he is asking me to duplicate something that the United Kingdom Government took away. I know the local project to which he refers, and I have agreed to meet it in my capacity as a constituency MSP. I think that my reply to Mr Findlay was helpful, but I have no doubt that we will continue to have a discourse on the matter. On this occasion—I wish no disrespect to Mr Findlay—it is more important that I meet the organisation than that I meet him.
Chartered Teachers (Appeals Process)
The appeals process for the accreditation route to chartered teacher status is a matter for the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
The minister is aware of the circumstances surrounding Duncan MacLean’s case, wherein Mr MacLean sought chartered teacher status. Due to the alleged inadequacy of guidance and advice that was given by his adviser on Mr MacLean’s initial submission of his portfolio commentary and reflective report, and the failure of the GTCS grounds of appeal to accept poor advice by an adviser as a ground for appeal, his efforts to achieve chartered teacher status have failed and his career prospects have been, in my view, unreasonably damaged. Will the minister now review the case and the GTCS appeals process with a view to awarding Mr MacLean the chartered teacher status that I believe he deserves and making certain that this narrow and unfair rejection of his appeal does not happen in the future?
I am grateful for Mr Scott’s background information on the matter. I am aware that, as he mentioned, he has been in touch with the Government. On 17 April, he wrote to Mr Russell, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, on behalf of his constituent Mr MacLean. I will certainly follow up the case with Mr Russell to ensure that Mr Scott receives a timely response.
What does the minister intend to do to incentivise teachers who want to remain in the classroom?
The Government has made it plain that there are many ways of achieving that end, one of which is to continue to raise the teaching profession’s status by, for instance, encouraging masters-level study for teachers’ continuing professional development and by making it clear that chartered teacher status is by no means the only way of achieving that. The Scottish Government will continue to develop CPD as it moves towards its ambition of teaching being a masters degree led profession.
Colleges (Renewables)
Colleges will play a key role in ensuring that Scotland has the skilled workforce to capitalise on our renewable energy ambitions. In recognition of that, no fewer than 22 colleges have already signed up to the recently introduced energy skills partnership that we and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council are funding to the tune of £500,000 over the next three years, and which will provide the industry with a one-stop shop for energy skills needs and ensure that those needs are met as fully and as efficiently as possible.
The minister will be aware of the excellent Whitlock energy collaboration centre at Carnegie College’s Rosyth campus and of the modern apprenticeships that it provides for major players in the renewables sector. I was very pleased to hear the minister’s comments about the new energy skills partnership, but I wonder whether in her reply to this question she could tell us what specific actions the Scottish Government can take to further raise awareness of the excellent facility at Rosyth and to promote more widespread take-up of its courses.
Annabelle Ewing raises a key issue. The Whitlock centre makes a huge contribution to the renewables sector’s skills needs and, as Annabelle Ewing has rightly pointed out, it sits very much at the hub of Carnegie College’s acclaimed engineering facility at Rosyth. The college is making a leading contribution on the issue; for example, it piloted the modern apprenticeship programme in wind turbine operation and maintenance that is now being used across the UK, and it is introducing a diploma in the subject. As a result, the college is well positioned to support the investment that is being made in Scotland by companies such as Samsung, which in February announced that it will locate its first European offshore wind project at the Fife energy park in Methil.
I thank the minister for her explanation of the energy skills partnership. What provision is the Scottish Government making to ensure that people who live in ports such as Eyemouth in my region have the opportunity to develop transferable skills through colleges and outreach opportunities to enable them to work in the offshore renewables sector, in particular because travel to courses at the new Borders College department in Hawick is quite a challenge?
As we speak, 22 colleges across Scotland are signed up to the energy skills partnership, which has received £300,000 in funding from the Scottish funding council and £200,000 from the Scottish Government. Every college that is a member contributes £5,000 per annum. The partnership has significant resources at its disposal.
I remind members and ministers that brevity in questions and answers will allow me to get more people in.
Colleges (Regional Models)
We have now defined, and announced publicly, the regions in which colleges will be grouped. Some regions will comprise a single existing college. Some are likely to become single college regions after mergers take place. Other regions will include more than one college.
Will the minister assure me that the outcome agreements will focus on putting learners at the centre of the process, which will lead to a range of models across the country, each of which should ensure that the learner journey is improved and that the best possible outcomes will be achieved for our college students?
Yes—I agree with that. We cannot lose sight of the fact that our ambitious reform agenda is about meeting the needs of young people better. We must focus on getting young people into work. Learners and communities in the college regions are all different and, as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong learning has made clear, one size does not fit all. He is carefully considering the added value to any existing structures.
On that theme, the minister will be well aware of a regional model that has been working for some time across the largest geographical region in Scotland—the Highlands and Islands. What discussions have she or her officials had with colleges within the University of the Highlands and Islands about the threat of moving away from a structure that has allowed those who live in the periphery to receive college funding as befits their needs, rather than operating through a hub-and-spokes mechanism that could mean that more and more of the resource will rest in Inverness and not get out to the regional colleges, including those that are in the constituency that I represent?
I assure Mr McArthur that the purpose of college reform is to ensure a more strategic delivery, and not to depart from local provision. I appreciate that in the Highlands and Islands and the area that Mr McArthur represents, local provision is particularly important, given the extremes of rurality that students and learners have to overcome to participate in learning and to move into the job market.
What opportunities are there for schools in the regions to participate in the discussions?
Ms Smith raises an interesting point, which I am sure the cabinet secretary will be interested in. I know from my experience in West Lothian that schools are key partners when it comes to the future of our local college and what we do with it.
Welfare Reform (Access to Childcare)
Changes to child tax credits that were introduced on 6 April mean that approximately 84,900 families with children in Scotland are no longer eligible for child tax credit. Those families are people who are claiming at or below the family element of the child tax credits, which is worth £545 per year per family. That will affect 118,700 children across Scotland and will undoubtedly have an impact on the ability of families to pay for childcare. Despite the fact that we have limited powers over tax and benefits, we are taking immediate and major steps to support families with early learning and childcare.
The minister is aware that 118,700 children will be affected by the changes, which will make it more difficult for families on low incomes to access appropriate childcare. Can the minister reassure us that the Scottish Government will do everything within its power to prevent those families from falling further into poverty as a result of this abhorrent attack, by the Westminster Government, on hard-working families?
Within the powers that it has, the Scottish Government has taken a number of measures to ensure that children and young families are supported. For example, £4.5 million from the early years change fund is available to local authorities to provide early learning and childcare for our most vulnerable two-year-olds.
Information and Communications Technology (Education)
The programme board last met on 15 February 2012, when it discussed the ICT in education programme.
I know that the board will have been involved in advising on the procurement of the new glow system. Can the minister guarantee that the new system will be fully functioning and accessible by the September deadline? If it will not, what contingency is in place?
I assure Neil Findlay that the Government is confident that there will not be a gap in the operation of the system and that, if a new system is to be procured, it will be procured by that deadline. There will be continuity of provision.
Higher Education (Looked-after Young People)
All students who already have a further education qualification are eligible to apply for full support from year 1 of a higher education course. That includes help with tuition fees, student loans, bursaries and any living-cost grants to which they may be entitled. In addition, a care leavers grant is available to some students who were previously looked after in care.
I thank the minister for that answer on behalf of a young constituent of mine, by whose drive to succeed I am greatly impressed. The problem that he faced related to a law degree, but I am delighted to hear the minister say that he can apply for a care leavers grant. Thank you.
I thank Fiona McLeod for being a good corporate parent by raising the issue that her constituent faces—it sounds as though he is a talented young person. I encourage her to contact the chief executive of the SAAS to ensure that her constituent receives the full support to which he is entitled. I recognise the potential complexity with support for law degrees. As part of the post-16 reform programme, we are reviewing the higher education previous-study rules with a view to improving and simplifying the system from 2013-14. I hope that that helps Fiona McLeod to help her constituent.
Pre-school Education
We are making good progress on the commitment to ensure that all pre-school children have access to a teacher. Annual statistics from the Scottish Government pre-school census show that the percentage of children with access to a teacher has increased from 66 per cent in 2008 to 75 per cent in 2011.
Given the Scottish National Party’s 2007 manifesto commitment to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for every nursery-aged child, does the minister share my concern about the fact that the number of nursery teachers who are employed by local authorities has fallen in the past seven years? In my region, in Aberdeen, one in four pre-school children still does not have access to a registered teacher, and in Angus the figure is one in three. In the Western Isles, which is outwith my region, the number of pre-school children with no access to a registered teacher is as high as four out of every five. What discussions has the Government had with local authorities about how it can support the training and recruitment of more qualified teachers to guide children through the vital early years?
I agree, as does the Scottish Government, that teachers play a vital role in delivering high-quality early learning experiences to children in pre-school settings. I stress the reply that I gave to the member’s first question, which is that we have made good and significant progress. We remain committed to ensuring that all children have access to a pre-school teacher and we will continue to work with local partners on the delivery of that commitment.
In Renfrewshire, nursery classes that previously had access to a nursery teacher for five days a week now have access to a teacher for only one day a week. Is that progress?
In my reply to Alison McInnes, I outlined the significant progress that we have made so far on this agenda. Hugh Henry does a disservice to all the people throughout the country who work with children in the early years and who are being upskilled by the Government—they do a fantastic job. The member should perhaps reflect on his comments.
Getting it Right for Every Child (Legislation)
Yes, it will. The getting it right for every child programme, or GIRFEC as it is more commonly known, is a whole-child approach. That means ensuring that all children’s services, not just education services, work together where appropriate to support a child’s needs and to address risks. Any legislation to embed GIRFEC principles will have to reflect that.
Some young people live in the catchment area of a school that is in a different local authority area and attend that school. In those cases, a placing request is not involved and it is clear what school they are going to, but sometimes there is a problem with social work and other services following such children across the boundary. Will GIRFEC change that?
Under the GIRFEC approach, the roles and responsibilities of the named person and lead professional mean that co-ordinated support for a child can be planned and provided regardless of boundaries. We already promote that practice and we will continue to do so. We will consult publicly on the extent to which the principles and practices of the getting it right for every child approach need to be enforced in the forthcoming legislation.
Devolved School Management
Devolved school management is an important enabler for local leadership and has been a feature of education in Scotland since 1993. The principle that underpins the scheme, and the previous Administration’s 2006 guidance, is flexibility for headteachers based on local needs. At the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning’s request, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities established a steering group in December 2011 to review the 2006 devolved school management guidance. The cabinet secretary is currently considering the group’s revised guidance, prior to issue.
Will the minister clarify the Government’s position on the exact powers that will remain with councils and the powers that will go to headteachers? How much control of education will be held by the Scottish National Party Government in Edinburgh?
There may be a few—or perhaps a whole stream of—misunderstandings about devolved school management in the member’s question. The approach that is being taken is not to specify a percentage of powers to be devolved to schools, but rather to devolve particular areas and responsibilities.
School Estate (Sporting Activities)
Our expectation is that local authorities will make every effort to ensure that sporting facilities are made available in a way that addresses the needs of pupils and the wider community.
We would all agree that the school estate should be opened up to give greater access in order to get the benefits from the Olympic games and the 2014 Commonwealth games and to see greater sporting participation in Scotland. What specific discussions has the Government had with local authorities to facilitate greater access to the school estate for community clubs in the evenings, at weekends and during holidays?
I readily agree with the member’s sentiment that we should maximise communities’ access to the facilities that are there, and not least in light of the forthcoming Commonwealth games. Sportscotland is undertaking an audit of sports facilities around Scotland, which involves a conversation with local authorities, and there is consideration of the McLeish football review, which among other things pointed to the need to ensure that the maximum possible co-operation exists between local and other authorities on the matter raised.
Has the minister heard anecdotally about the impact that the private finance initiative contracts that the previous Administration signed are having on access to sporting facilities in schools across Scotland?
The position is different in different parts of Scotland, but it is certainly the case that in some parts of Scotland PFI contracts have proved less than helpful to community organisations that seek access to schools. Of course, one good thing about this Government, which I am sure members across the chamber would acknowledge, is that it has moved away from the recklessness of PFI as a Government policy.
Physical Education Teachers (Training on Heart Conditions)
Student teachers work with—[Interruption.]
Order for the minister, please.
Student teachers work with General Teaching Council for Scotland-registered colleagues in partner schools to observe the acute effects of exercise on pupils and they are expected to exercise professional judgment in relation to the referral of pupils to medical practitioners where pupils’ response to exercise raises cause for concern. If pupils have a known heart condition, teachers would take that into consideration when planning lessons.
Apparently healthy and active young people can die suddenly, sometimes during exercise and often with heart conditions that they never knew they had. I understand that, from 2014, PE teachers who are graduating will benefit from training via the curriculum for excellence but the same will not apply to existing PE teachers. Will the minister consider some modest form of retrospective training for existing PE teachers?
There is continuing professional development for PE teachers and assessing children’s differing responses to exercise is considered. We are far from complacent about the issue.
Class Sizes (Early Years)
Significant progress is being made. The 2011 schools census indicates that the average primary 1 class size is at a record low of 20.5, compared with 23.1 in 2006, and that, over the same period, the number of P1 pupils in classes of more than 25 has been slashed by 96 per cent.
I thank the minister for her response, but Edinburgh is significantly behind the national average for having P1 to P3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer.
I reiterate to Sarah Boyack that progress has been made since the manifesto commitment to reduce class sizes was made, so much so that Professor Lindsay Paterson wrote in The Scotsman on 8 December last year:
Music and Art Tuition
Who is responsible for cutting their budgets?
I hear a member asking who is responsible for reducing budgets. That is, of course, the responsibility of the Westminster Government, which is implementing plans that were largely put together by the member’s party.
I would be grateful if the minister answered the questions that are asked.
Okay. The Scottish Government recognises the value of the expressive arts in contributing greatly to children and young people’s mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. The recruitment and deployment of staff, including specialist teachers, are a matter for local government, as is the legal responsibility for providing an adequate and efficient education that is suitable to the needs of children. All class teachers are expected to be able to deliver elements of teaching and learning in art and design and music, along with all other areas of the primary curriculum, as part of their initial teacher education.
I note, in particular, the minister’s comments on the advantage of art and music education to young children. Does he agree that we could develop a strategy to involve organisations that the Government already supports in providing tuition and widening access to the services that they provide?
I am always happy to speak to organisations that are involved in providing music, art and other aspects of education in schools, and I am happy to hear more from the member.
School Buildings (Repayments)
The total for contracted unitary charge payments in respect of all school PFI projects that are operational or have reached financial close is estimated to be £13.7 billion.
Does the minister agree that local authority PFI repayments are a massive financial milestone that removes £38 million every year from the education budget in Edinburgh? Will he join me in congratulating the City of Edinburgh Council on giving the go-ahead to new schools at Boroughmuir high school and James Gillespie’s high school in southern Edinburgh? Does he agree that that is evidence that it is the Scottish National Party that can be trusted to deliver on education at both national and local levels?
The member will forgive me for saying that local authorities probably view those figures as both milestones and millstones. I am more than willing to congratulate the City of Edinburgh Council on securing support for those schools through Scotland’s building schools for the future programme. That is further evidence of the Government’s commitment to reduce by half the number of pupils in crumbling schools and to do so in a way that is more responsible than some of the financial solutions that were offered by our predecessors.
Will the minister provide me with a list of schools that have, since 2007, been funded by public-private partnerships but opened by a Scottish Government minister?
I can certainly provide such a list if the member wishes. I am sure that, in exchange, he will provide me with a list of schools that Labour ministers opened but which were commissioned by predecessor Governments. The Scottish Government has more than matched, brick for brick, the number of schools that were built by the previous Government. The proof is not in who opens the schools, but in the numbers—which are a favourable achievement for the Scottish National Party and not for the member’s party.
Holocaust Education
At a reception last Wednesday, on the eve of Yom Hashoah, the Jewish community’s day for commemorating and reflecting on the Holocaust, I was pleased to share my experiences of visiting Auschwitz with Scottish students as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s lessons from Auschwitz project.
I am delighted to hear that the minister attended that event in the Parliament. I attended the Yom Hashoah event at Giffnock synagogue on the same evening.
I thank the member for those comments. They are particularly appropriate because, at the reception last week, we were fortunate enough to be joined by Henry and Ingrid Wuga, who faced persecution by the Nazis in occupied Europe before leaving all that they had known and eventually choosing Scotland as their new home. I recognise the value and importance of capturing the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and refugees and their reflections on life in Scotland. Therefore, I am happy to ask officials to meet the project organisers to explore how best to capture testimonies about those most important parts of our history from around Scotland.
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