Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government jointly chairs the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group. This group assesses the required level of initial teacher education places using information from a range of sources. One such source is the teacher workforce planning model which projects future demand for student teachers based on factors including the age profile of the teaching workforce, rates of wastage and returners, and projected pupil numbers. These projections operate at the school sector level rather than individual subject level. Information on the Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group and the workforce planning model is available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/groups/teacher-workforce-planning-advisory-group/

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

‘ Tender evaluation for the pre-construction services award (PCSA) element of the HMP Highland project is underway and SPS anticipates the initial contract award will be made during September 2021.’

The published remit for the OECD’s Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence, sets out the approach taken to the review. This can be accessed at: Independent+Review+of+Curriculum+for+Excellence+-+Remit.pdf (www.gov.scot)

The OECD established a team of core OECD staff and international experts with experience in curriculum and assessment implementation. The process included:

• A comprehensive desk-based analysis of policy documents, evidence and research on CfE implementation, which included, amongst other documents, the initial evidence base provided by the Scottish Government in July 2020, papers published as part of the Education & Skills Committee’s Inquiry on Subject Choice and published academic articles and research.
• Compilation of information from key stakeholders’ websites and think tank publications.
• A series of interviews and virtual school visits plus focus groups to gather primary data. These included discussions with the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Skills Committee, Scottish Government officials, national agencies, local government representatives, college and university bodies, employer groups, academics, teachers and head teachers, parents, young people, Gaelic and subject specific interest groups, and members of Scotland’s education governance groups.

This represented a significant and comprehensive amount of documentation, with many different perspectives informing the review.

The OECD were clear that it was not feasible for them to consider more information than they specifically requested, nor was the purpose of the Review to generate new written submissions or replace what would otherwise be a national consultation.

The OECD were made aware of any requests to submit written submissions and advised that should any additional information be required they would request this.

Not all of the information being requested is held at present by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Funding Council has however provided HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) data showing what percentage of all students studying medicine at Scottish medical schools, across all years of studies, were Scottish domiciled. This data is limited up to and including academic year 2019-20.

People who have been fully vaccinated in the EU or the US will be able to travel to Scotland from amber list countries without quarantining from Monday (2 August).

"Fully vaccinated" means that it has been at least 14 days since receiving the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

To count as fully vaccinated, travellers must also have been vaccinated in one of these countries:

• the UK, including as part of a UK vaccine rollout overseas - with an NHS approved vaccine.
• an EU member state - with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City - with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the Swiss vaccination programme.
• the USA - with a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

they must also:

• declare that you have been fully vaccinated on the passenger locator form
• take a COVID-19 test before travelling to Scotland – if they are travelling from Spain, it is recommended that they choose a PCR test before departure
• book and pay £68 for a COVID-19 PCR test – they should take this test within 2 days of arriving in Scotland and must book the testing kit using the CTM Booking Portal

The accepted documentation referenced is the EU Digital Covid Certificate and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s white card – known as a CDC card. We have updated our international travel guidance on the Scottish Government website to reflect this change. The most up to date information is available here : Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The Green Book notes that immunosuppression is one of the clinical risk groups for COVID-19 immunisation. This immunosuppression may be due to disease or treatment, including patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression, patients undergoing radical radiotherapy, solid organ transplant recipients, bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients, HIV infection at all stages, multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID).

All the UK governments receive their expert clinical advice from the JCVI and the Committee has been closely monitoring this issue throughout the vaccination programme both from real world data from the UK programme and from the literature review from across the world.

The Committee are fully aware of the potential sub-optimal response to two doses of the vaccine by some immunosuppressed individuals and that’s why they recommended that these groups of people should be given highest priority for a booster programme in the autumn.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government welcome the results of the OCTAVE study led by Prof. McInesss of Glasgow University. OCTAVE is one of a number of studies looking at vaccine effectiveness through measuring immune response.

The study found that “while 40% of these clinically at-risk patient groups were found to have a low or undetectable immune response after a double dose of the vaccine, we are encouraged that this figure isn’t higher. However, it is possible even partial protection may be clinically beneficial, and this is something we will closely monitor."

These preliminary results of OCTAVE and the results of continuing and forthcoming research will be instrumental in helping inform how best to vaccinate patients with immunosuppressed conditions and protect them from COVID-19 infection in the future.

We await the JCVI’s final advice on any potential Covid-19 booster programme, with the interim advice being that this should begin in September 2021, in order to maximise protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious COVID-19 symptoms ahead of the winter months.

I welcome Professor Stobart’s paper on the future of qualifications and assessment.

It is important to note that this paper has not produced recommendations but looks at approaches taken around the world, outlining a number of possible options for Scotland to consider as part of a wider conversations on any future changes to its qualifications and assessment system.

These options include:

• the development of a Senior Phase qualification system based on a combination of teacher assessment and exams
• the simplification of S4-5 assessment by “de-cluttering” the historical diet of exams
• the increased use of online exam resources and oral presentations as an assessment format
• the inclusion of pupils views in decisions around assessment
• enhancing the role of vocational qualifications

Working with stakeholders across the education sector, including learners, we will give full consideration to the options that Professor Stobart has outlined.

I will update Parliament on how this work will be taken forward and on the on-going implementation of OECD recommendations on Curriculum for Excellence in due course.

The Scottish Government has today (31 August) published the Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland .

This exercise has collected evidence on the sustainability of the childcare sector, in particular in light of the impacts of COVID-19. The Health Check has been informed by evidence and analysis from: detailed surveys of childcare providers; in-depth case study interviews with a range of providers; discussions with provider representative bodies; and analysis of trends in registration data. A supporting Analysis and Evidence paper has also been published.

As part of this exercise we have also collected updated information from all local authorities on the sustainable rates that they have set for providers in the private, third and childminding sectors to deliver funded early learning and childcare.

The Health Check sets out a range of actions that we will now work with the sector and delivery partners to progress. The actions will build on the substantial targeted financial support made available to the sector since March 2020, actions already being progressed, and aligning, where possible, with economy-wide support measures.

Scotland’s Population 2020: the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends’ will be published at 9:30 a.m. on 31 August 2021. The Report contains information about births, deaths and marriages during the year, together with other demographic information. A copy of the report is available from the Registrar General’s website at www.nrscotland.gov.uk .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02400 on 31 August 2021 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .