Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 13 January 2021
13 Jan 2021 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Covid-19 Education Update
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement.
Conservative members, too, thank everyone in education who is delivering learning and childcare in these difficult circumstances. The move to remote learning has added to the pressures on teachers, on working parents and, more important, on young people. The move has been the Government’s contingency plan—its plan B—for quite some time, so why, 10 months into the pandemic, are there still so many uncertainties, such as about why access to meaningful remote learning has become a postcode lottery and whether teachers are supposed to give live lessons? In addition, many questions still remain about this year’s qualifications model.
I therefore have some direct questions for the Deputy First Minister. Why are young people being asked to use games consoles to access learning? Why does not every pupil who needs a device to learn on have one? When will the additional funding that has been announced today actually hit the pockets of local authorities so that they can put new staff in place, given that we are already halfway through January?
When will we finally see the full detail of and guidance on the alternative certification model? Many people are still completely in the dark about the plans.
Finally, will the Government commit to doing what we are calling for, which is to double financial support for online learning if schools remain closed beyond the end of January?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
The next item of business is a statement by John Swinney, who will provide a Covid-19 update on schools and remote learning arrangements. The cabinet secreta...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney)
SNP
Scottish education is today focused on ensuring that our children receive the high-quality learning to which they are entitled despite the current challengin...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you. The cabinet secretary will now take questions on his statement. We must conclude around 12.30 for First Minister’s question time, so I ask members...
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement. Conservative members, too, thank everyone in education who is delivering learning and chil...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That was a lot of questions, cabinet secretary, but please be succinct in your response.
John Swinney
SNP
I do not accept that characterisation by Jamie Greene. He does a disservice to education professionals the length and breadth of the country who are, at this...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of his statement. It is clear that teachers in difficult circumstances have worked hard over recent months in p...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I remind members who are frowning that front-bench spokespeople have a given amount of time to ask their questions—so you can cheer up, Mr Coffey.
John Swinney
SNP
I welcome Iain Gray’s recognition of the good work that teachers have done. They have made a superb effort in order to be ready for the circumstances in whic...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I have 20 minutes, and 14 members want to ask questions. You do the arithmetic—it is important that you do so, given that the statement was on education. I ...
Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
SNP
We know that many parents and carers are concerned for young people. Although schools are open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers, there...
John Swinney
SNP
It is important that schools make individual judgments about the needs of pupils who have additional support needs. For some of those young people it can be ...
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
Is it acceptable that some parents in my constituency are reporting that their children are being offered no live element of home learning? What is the cabin...
John Swinney
SNP
I set out in my statement that guidance has been issued by Education Scotland on the expectations on remote learning. That guidance was published on Friday a...
Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP)
SNP
Remote learning is key to ensuring that pupils continue their education. Can the Deputy First Minister confirm the minimum number of remote-learning hours th...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
That was three questions.
John Swinney
SNP
As I said in my answer to Mr Mundell, guidance has been published on the expectations on remote learning, which will be a mixture of direct live lessons and ...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
I will ask the cabinet secretary about the national qualifications group. The document on teacher assessment for national awards was published in October, an...
John Swinney
SNP
It is important to stress that the guidance will be published by the national qualifications group and not exclusively by the SQA. The SQA is working collabo...
Annabelle Ewing (Cowdenbeath) (SNP)
SNP
On the issue of key workers, I have been contacted by some parents in my constituency who are a bit confused about the position that is being adopted by Fife...
John Swinney
SNP
We have set out three categories of key workers. Category 1 includes, essentially, health and social care workers who are critically important to the Covid e...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
What discussions has the cabinet secretary or Education Scotland had with BBC Scotland and other television channels about additional support for pupils whos...
John Swinney
SNP
There has been good discussion between Education Scotland and BBC Scotland, and I spoke to the director of BBC Scotland about all of those issues last week. ...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
Families’ lives and livelihoods revolve around their childcare arrangements. The Government cannot simply gamble on employers being understanding and flexibl...
John Swinney
SNP
We are in quite exceptional circumstances just now, and I am afraid that we have to ask employers to work with us in this respect. We have put into law a req...
Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)
SNP
I am delighted to hear of the considerable efforts that are being made by my former colleagues in Education Scotland to support learning and teaching at this...
John Swinney
SNP
Education Scotland published that detail on Friday and, as I indicated in one of my earlier answers, directly communicated it to all members of the General T...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
Some special schools are operating as normal, having designated all pupils as vulnerable. The complex needs of their pupils might justify that decision, but ...
John Swinney
SNP
The point that Mr Greer makes about some staff—it will not be all—who attend to the personal care needs of young people in special schools raises significant...
Alison Harris (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I appreciate that the cabinet secretary is making temporary financial support available to the providers of day care for children. He says that he is conside...