Chamber and committees

I have a couple of questions on the issues that have come up so far. I will then move on to my main questions, which are about student accommodation.

The committee has heard from students whose experience during the past couple of years has been variable across the country and across local authority areas. How far would the powers help to ensure that there was consistency if there was another pandemic and they had to be invoked?

Although reform is necessary, this is an uncertain time for the staff who are directly involved. We must take their anxieties seriously. What assurance can the cabinet secretary give to staff at Education Scotland and the SQA that the Scottish Government will ensure job security, champion the principles of fair work and undertake meaningful engagement with staff throughout the reform process?

It is an absolute pleasure to speak in the debate and to stand with my colleagues as we celebrate the journeys and achievements of women all over the world on this day.

This time last year, there were no women of colour in the chamber. Today, we have two. I thank my colleagues for bringing that to everyone’s attention—as if nobody had noticed—but, without diminishing our success, I say again that, in 2022, we have two. Members should let that sink in.

Although there has been progress and the Scottish Parliament has more women MSPs in this session than in any previous session, we share a collective responsibility to continue the trajectory towards equal representation for women and to “break the bias”. Despite the progress in recent decades, we have also witnessed sobering reminders that the fight for equality is far from over. The fact remains that, whether we are competing in the labour market, caring for loved ones or simply walking home, women face obstacles, discrimination and dangers that men do not.

We know that the pandemic has highlighted existing inequalities between men and women. Furthermore, research from Close the Gap last year showed that black and minority ethnic women face a combination of gendered and racial barriers that affect their ability to enter, progress in and stay in good-quality employment. According to Close the Gap’s research, more than 50 per cent of workers in roles that the Scottish Government assessed as being at high risk of job disruption are women, and BAME women, particularly young BAME women, are more likely to experience loss of hours and loss of earnings, with almost three quarters reporting they had experienced racism, discrimination, racial prejudice and/or bias in the workplace.

It is important to understand and recognise the intersectionality of race and gender inequalities. Women face institutional and other prejudices, and it is clear that the experience of women of colour is even tougher and has additional layers. We talk about glass ceilings, but we should also talk about the glass walls and the glass floors.

One notable example can be found in education. In 2019, the National Union of Students reported that more than 80 per cent of white UK university students domiciled in the UK received a first or upper second-class degree compared to 70 per cent of black, Asian and minority ethnic students. When they were asked about possible contributory factors, students frequently cited the lack of role models and diversity among senior staff at their institutions.

In the same year, writer and activist Nicola Rollock interviewed 20 of the UK’s total of 25 black female professors. Twenty five is a pitifully low number, which represents just 0.1 per cent of all professors in the UK. White men comprise 68 per cent of UK professors. In her interviews, she heard repeated descriptions of a culture of bullying, racial stereotyping and micro-aggressions in higher education.

Sadly, we are even seeing a disparity in the treatment of Ukrainian women of colour as they run for refuge.

Today, we renew our call on employers across all sectors, including our schools, colleges and universities, to be bolder and not to prop up ineffectual equality policies with box-ticking exercises. We call on employers to implement real change with measurable outcomes.

We must also hold people accountable within our own communities and among friends, and we ourselves should not be afraid of introspection—we must appreciate that we are not always free from bias.

On a national level, the Scottish Government has proven its commitment to eradicating racial and gender inequality through an extensive range of actions and proposals, including a new bill to incorporate into Scots law four United Nations human rights treaties, notably the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. That will help to advance economic, social and cultural rights. Fair work and gender pay gap action plans will also assist Scotland in achieving its ambition to be a fair work nation.

We welcome every centimetre and metre of progress—a modern reference, instead of a reference to inches and miles, which did not work—but we know that there is much more to do and that the road is long and winding. It is also exhausting. However, as we celebrate this international women’s day, let us acknowledge the essential contributions of women and the importance of diversity, and let us recommit ourselves, in solidarity, to breaking the bias.

I will end with the words of one of my favourite poets, Maya Angelou. It is dedicated to all women: the women from our past, those in the present and those to come.

“Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud …

’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.”

That is all of us today.

As well as seeing the harrowing images of families fleeing their homes, we have heard reports of black and minority ethnic Ukrainian refugees being denied exit from Ukraine or being subjected to different treatment.

I am sure that all members agree that no one who is fleeing conflict should have to face unnecessary and inhumane hurdles when they are seeking refuge.

Will the minister say to what extent the experience of Glasgow in welcoming and integrating refugees and asylum seekers influenced the Scottish Government’s approach to the Ukraine crisis?

In 1922, the inception of what would become the UK’s very first public service broadcaster marked an important epoch in our cultural history. The BBC, like all public service broadcasters, would produce content to serve the people, not commercial interests or the ruling party, operating under its commitment to “inform, educate and entertain”.

That commitment was exemplified when the BBC covered its first major news story: the 1926 UK general strike. Fearful amid the chaos, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin attempted to commandeer the broadcaster. During a series of exchanges with the BBC’s managing director, John Reith, it was argued by Mr Reith that such a move would destroy the company’s reputation for honesty and impartiality. Remarkably, the Prime Minister conceded; the BBC would remain independent.

There have been many significant milestones, from the moon landing to David Attenborough’s “Life on Earth” and gritty, pioneering dramas such as “Grange Hill”, in which difficult topics such as drug addiction could be explored and key messages provided to its teenage audience without sermonising or finger-wagging. Younger broadcasters, such as Channel 4, are also governed by their public service remit. Over the years, it too has brought us many ground-breaking series.

Programmes such as “Blue Peter”, which is the longest-running children’s TV show in the world and still airs today, and family favourites such as Balamory bring a nostalgic warmth for many. I also acknowledge the educational provision, most notably on BBC Bitesize Scotland. Students can listen to David Tennant explaining the importance of renewable energies with the help of a host of quirky characters including Snazzy Solar and Mighty Hydro. Many examples of what public service broadcasters have brought to us have been mentioned in the debate. However, under the Westminster Tories, they are now at risk.

The threat of privatisation is now dangled over the heads of those at Channel 4, the remit of which means that it is not reliant on Government funding, instead commissioning its content from more than 300 independent production companies.

As for the BBC, in one fell swoop, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport declared that BBC funding via licensing fees would be frozen for two years and that that funding’s future was “up for discussion”. That freeze represents real-terms cuts that are worth hundreds of millions of pounds and that will directly impact the ability to take creative risks and invest in quality programming.

The freeze undoubtedly came as a surprise to many, but perhaps less surprising was the lack of consultation with devolved nations. There are reviews to the BBC’s charter but, once again, we remain an afterthought.

In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, we have seen a much welcome increase in made-in-Scotland TV and film production, and in my constituency of Glasgow Kelvin, the Government has helped to fund additional studio infrastructure, investing £7.9 million in a new television studio in Kelvin Hall. I thank Fiona Hyslop for mentioning that in her speech.

We must do all that we can to protect those in Scotland who pay the price of Tory cuts to public service broadcasting. In a world of ever-growing fake news and uncertainty, we must defend those who act in the interests of the people, not of private shareholders.

Does the cabinet secretary agree that grandstanding on important educational issues has no place in the Parliament, and will she join me in thanking the OECD for its independent review of the curriculum for excellence? Does she agree that being open to external challenge is crucial to ensuring that our education system remains world class?

We know that teachers, too, have faced significant disruption throughout the past year. How are the Scottish Government and its agencies supporting them to deliver the best possible outcomes for our learners?

I also wanted to ask about tutoring and the expectation on our young people and children to go to school between 9 o’clock and 3 or 4 o’clock and then do additional work. I wonder how many adults would want to do additional work in the evening—indeed, I am always mindful of that impact. [Interruption.] Yes, that was a comment, convener.

Has any thought been given to the impact of that? Adults seem to think that additional tutoring is a good thing. I am not against it by any means, but has there has been any consultation with young people and learners on what they feel about doing that additional work? What is the take-up rate?

Before I let people in, I want to make a comment about the Volunteer Tutors Organisation, which I had the chance to meet a couple of weeks ago. It is based in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency, and its amazing work is being rolled out across and beyond Glasgow. I just wanted to put that on the record.

I am sorry—I cannot—[Interruption.]

Dr Robertson, did you want to come in?