Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)

Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Question reference: S6W-38282

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to incentivise students to study STEM subjects at (a) National 5, (b) Higher, (c) Advanced Higher and (d) university level.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to develop core STEM skills and knowledge. Through the Curriculum Improvement Cycle, we have established a systematic approach to curriculum improvement which will help to ensure that STEM subjects are attractive and accessible to all children and young people.

Inspiring young people to study STEM is at the heart of our STEM Education and Training Strategy. In the last Financial Year alone, the Scottish Government provided over £1.74 million to a range of organisations which support high-quality delivery of STEM education. This includes funding SSERC’s Young STEM Leader Programme, which gives young people the chance to become STEM role models and inspire their peers to develop an interest in STEM through the creation and delivery of STEM activities and events.

Further opportunities are available for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds including the SSERC Research Placements Programme which helps develop pupils’ professional skills through undertaking STEM research placements and Strathclyde University’s Engineering Scholars Programme which provides tutoring opportunities. The Scottish Funding Council also provide support to senior phase pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented groups through the National Schools Programme (NSP) which provides impartial advice and application support to pursue higher education in university, which includes STEM subjects.

The Scottish Government also funds a range of highly regarded professional learning for STEM teachers and technicians and we continue to fund Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) which work to drive improvement in the take up and delivery of computing science in schools. This funding underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to the delivery of high-quality STEM education in Scotland’s schools. All these programmes help young people realise positive post-school destinations including further and higher STEM education and employment.

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Question reference: S6W-38282

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