- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many newly-qualified or probationary teachers did not enter employment in a public sector secondary school in August in each year since 1995.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.However, Table 20 of the
Standard Tables on Higher Education and Further Education in Scotland 1995-96 to 2000-01 published on 26 September contains information on the first destinations of newly trained teachers and can be accessed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00196-20.asp.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many days have been lost on average because of ill health amongst public sector teachers in each year since 1995, broken down by local authority.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.The management of teacher absence and the causes of absence are matters for individual local authorities as employers. However, Scottish local authorities provide Audit Scotland with information on sickness absence levels among local government staff, including teachers. Table 6b of its most recent report entitled
Performance Indicators 2000/2001: Benefits, Finance & Corporate Issues, published on 24 January 2002, contains comparative data for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and can be accessed at:
http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/publications/pdf/02pi04ac.pdf.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school-based candidates for examinations at SCE higher grade or Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 6 obtained a qualification in a language other than English in each year since 1995
Answer
The following table shows the numbers of school-based candidates obtaining at least one qualification at SCQF level 6 in a language other than English (for publicly funded schools only):
| Year | Number of Candidates |
| 1995 | 4,081 |
| 1996 | 3,949 |
| 1997 | 3,966 |
| 1998 | 4,088 |
| 1999 | 3,812 |
| 2000 | 4,317 |
| 2001 | 4,611 |
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many school-based candidates entered for examination in at least one (a) SCE higher grade or (b) qualification at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level 6 in each year since 1995.
Answer
The following table shows the numbers of school-based candidates entered for an examination at SCQF Level 6 (for publicly funded schools only):
| Year | Number of Candidates |
| 1995 | 49,619 |
| 1996 | 51,113 |
| 1997 | 52,704 |
| 1998 | 51,963 |
| 1999 | 50,982 |
| 2000 | 50,343 |
| 2001 | 48,995 |
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional primary school classes were required in early primary education to implement the commitment given in Working together for Scotland - A Programme for Government to reduce class si'es in primary 3 to 30 or smaller.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many classes in primary 3 were reduced in number by more than five children in order to meet the commitment in Working together for Scotland - A Programme for Government to reduce class si'es to 30 or smaller.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional primary school teachers were employed in early primary education in order to implement the commitment given in Working together for Scotland - A Programme for Government to reduce class si'es in primary 3 to 30 or smaller and what assessment it has made of the cost of employing such teachers.
Answer
The Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government commitment to reduce class sizes in primary 3 was part of a larger commitment to reduce class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3. To assist authorities to reduce class sizes, £48.2 million was made available from April 1999 to March 2002. Authorities used these funds to employ teachers and undertake capital works.It is not possible to identify the number of teachers required to reduce class sizes in primary 3 alone. However, at 31 March 2002 authorities employed 441.54 FTE teachers under the class size reduction programme of the Excellence Fund.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost will be of implementing its Working together for Scotland - A Programme for Government commitment to reduce class si'es in primary 3 to 30 or smaller.
Answer
The Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government commitment to reduce class sizes in primary 3 was part of a wider commitment to reduce class sizes, in primary 1 to primary 3, to 30 or less. Between April 1999 and March 2002, £48.2 million was allocated to education authorities through the Excellence Fund to meet this commitment. It is not possible to identify the cost of reducing class sizes in primary 3 alone. Funding of £15 million a year is continuing for the current and next financial year.
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of students staying on in S5 beyond December obtained at least one (a) SCE higher grade or (b) national qualification at higher level in each year since 1995.
Answer
The following table shows the proportion of students voluntarily staying on in S5 who obtained at least one qualification at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Level 6 which includes SCE Higher and National Qualifications at Higher Level (for publicly funded schools only):
| Year | Percentage of Voluntary S5 Roll |
| 1995 | 56% |
| 1996 | 57% |
| 1997 | 56% |
| 1998 | 57% |
| 1999 | 57% |
| 2000 | 60% |
| 2001 | 57% |
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 31 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the S4 cohort progressed to S5 and stayed on at school beyond December in each year since 1995.
Answer
The following table shows the proportions of the S4 cohort who voluntarily stayed on at school beyond the minimum school leaving age (for publicly funded schools only):
| Year | Percentage of S4 Cohort |
| 1995-96 | 68% |
| 1996-97 | 68% |
| 1997-98 | 68% |
| 1998-99 | 68% |
| 1999-2000 | 69% |
| 2000-01 | 69% |
