Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 03 June 2021
03 Jun 2021 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Education
I will expand that and say that transparency has to be key to reform of education as a whole, not just the SQA. That is a principle that we should all hold. I have listened carefully to the comments not just from across the chamber but from academics, teachers and young people, who have spoken of their wishes for reform. What I hope I am signalling today is my intention to move along with a reform process. I look forward to working with stakeholders, teachers, parents and, particularly, young people to find the solutions, if we are joined in our willingness to reform these important institutions.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
Good afternoon. I remind members that social distancing measures are in place in the chamber and across the Holyrood campus. I ask that members take care to ...
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Shirley-Anne Somerville)
SNP
My statement yesterday was an opportunity to lay out the Scottish Government’s views and direction on qualifications and appeals. I am pleased to have the op...
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
What is the cabinet secretary going to do in relation to the university and college sector, which is urgently looking for guidance that would allow it to saf...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I intend to come on to that area a little bit further into my speech. If Oliver Mundell will forgive me, I will therefore leave that until then. I also know ...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I am looking for a bit of clarity on local authorities, given that they provide money to the Scottish Qualifications Authority on an annual basis. What eleme...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I will be happy to get back to Sue Webber on the details of the funding of the SQA in future years, and I will say more about the SQA later in my speech.
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
If the member lets me make some progress, I promise that I will take an intervention from him in due course. Looking ahead, we know that the health and well...
Sarah Boyack (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I promised Martin Whitfield that I would take him next, so if Sarah Boyack forgives me, I will keep that promise, if nothing else.
Martin Whitfield
Lab
I am very grateful. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will keep all her promises. Does the cabinet secretary agree with Sight Scotland, whose “Time to Fo...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I read the Sight Scotland briefing with interest, and I take very seriously the points that it made. As we move forward in making progress on education, we a...
Sarah Boyack
Lab
I would be delighted to. I warmly welcome the cabinet secretary to her new and important post. The ability to plan ahead is critical for our council colleag...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Cabinet secretary, I reassure you that we have a bit of time to play with, so you can, if you wish, be generous with interventions, and others can follow sui...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I promise that I will do my best to be generous, Presiding Officer. I have paid a great deal of attention to that since coming into post. I appreciate that ...
Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
I recognise that the process to reform the SQA is just beginning, but the issues with the SQA pre-date the current crisis and are founded in its complete lac...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I will expand that and say that transparency has to be key to reform of education as a whole, not just the SQA. That is a principle that we should all hold. ...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
Will the cabinet secretary give way? Oliver Mundell rose—
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I give way to Ross Greer.
Ross Greer
Green
I apologise to Mr Mundell for having drawn the cabinet secretary’s eye a few seconds before he got up. In the spirit of transparency, can I ask why the SQA ...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
The need for young people to have a voice is something that I certainly heard loud and clear. It is important to note that neither the Government nor the SQA...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
As I indicated, we have some time to play with. I am conscious that a number of members will be making their first speeches in the debate, but I encourage ot...
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
Five years ago, in a statement to the Parliament on her Government’s priorities following the 2016 election, the First Minister said: “By the end of this se...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I am disappointed by Mr Mundell’s response to what I have said is an expansive package of reform. I point out that nine out of 10 headteachers have reported ...
Oliver Mundell
Con
I am not sure that the young people whom the system is there to serve would agree with that. The extent of the mismatch between the minister’s rhetoric and ...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
As I laid out in my speech, we have invested very heavily through local authorities. Surely, it is right that local authorities, schools and headteachers, wh...
Oliver Mundell
Con
I do not think that promoting the opportunity for individual tutoring after a pandemic has affected many individuals in different ways is dictating something...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I start by putting on the record my thanks to the minister for the kind conversations that we had earlier in her tenure. She has the sincere and hopeful good...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Ross Greer to speak to and move amendment S6M-00204.4. Mr Greer, you have a generous six minutes. 14:39
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
Thank you, Presiding Officer. “The evidence the committee has received from teachers should give the SQA serious cause for concern.” That was the first con...