That the Parliament commends the education workforce for its continued efforts to deliver high-quality school education throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; acknowledges that the pandemic has caused disruption to learning, not just in Scotland but around the world, as recognised by the World Bank and the UN; welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to education recovery through significant investment in teacher employment, digital inclusion, tackling costs associated with the school day, and study support; recognises the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to tackling the poverty-related attainment gap, the progress made pre-pandemic in closing the gap, and the further £1 billion investment over the course of the current parliamentary session through the refreshed Scottish Attainment Challenge; notes that it is the Scottish Government’s firm intention that the 2022 national qualification exam diet will take place if it is safe to do so; welcomes the National e-Learning Offer, which has been in place since August 2020, and acknowledges that the Scottish Government and SQA continue to closely monitor disruption caused to schools by COVID-19, with a commitment to provide additional support to learners as required.
Supported by:
Sharon Dowey
Result 67 for, 53 against, 1 abstained, 8 did not vote Vote Passed
Scottish National Party
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Scottish Labour
Scottish Green Party
Scottish Liberal Democrats
No Party Affiliation
That the Parliament regrets that education has never been the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s number one priority, and expresses frustration at the widening attainment gap and the failure to guarantee that the 2022 school examination diet will go ahead in full.
Submitted by: Shirley-Anne Somerville, Dunfermline, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Supported by: Clare Haughey, Jamie Hepburn
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Result 67 for, 54 against, 0 abstained, 8 did not vote Vote Passed
Submitted by: Michael Marra, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Supported by: Foysol Choudhury, Paul Sweeney, Martin Whitfield
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, January 19, 2022