Meeting of the Parliament 25 February 2015
The result of the division is: For 92, Against 22, Abstentions 0.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that a solid grounding in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education delivered by high-quality teachers is essential in equipping all young people with the knowledge and skills to successfully contribute to the economy and 21st century society; notes that high numbers of young people choose to take science and maths qualifications, in particular at school, and congratulates those young people, their teachers and their schools for their hard work and their achievement across the STEM subjects; agrees that both young women and young men should be encouraged to aspire to and work toward the full range of rewarding careers on offer in the STEM sectors; notes the considerable investment and commitment that local authorities and the Scottish Government have made to support STEM education in schools; recognises the government’s commitment to raising educational attainment and tackling educational inequity as evidenced through the announcement of the Scottish Attainment Challenge and that STEM subjects are at the heart of the government’s approach to developing Scotland’s young workforce; agrees that Scotland’s young people deserve the very best teachers and supports the work of the General Teaching Council for Scotland and others in enhancing the quality and professionalism of teachers in Scotland, and calls on all members to support the commitment to a masters level qualification for head teachers in Scotland announced this week.