Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 18 May 2022
18 May 2022 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Attainment Challenge
Martin Whitfield raises an interesting point. My local authority, North Ayrshire, was one of the nine challenge authorities and, until the pandemic, was progressing very well on both raising attainment and reducing the poverty-related attainment gap overall. That was evidenced in an Education Scotland inspection report in July 2018, which stated:
“North Ayrshire Council is making very good progress with improving learning, raising attainment and narrowing the poverty-related attainment gap.”
In addition, the 2021 Scottish attainment challenge 2015 to 2020 impact report for North Ayrshire stated that North Ayrshire’s attainment in literacy and numeracy between 2016 and 2019 had improved for learners at all stages. The work that the local authority, teaching and support staff have done around professional learning, nurture, mental health and wellbeing and family learning has been valuable, and it has made a difference.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-04445, in the name of Michael Marra, on protecting attainment funding. I invite members who wish to speak...
Michael Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I appreciated the couple of moments to prepare. In lodging the motion, I had been hopeful that it might, even at this late sta...
Kaukab Stewart (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)
SNP
Andrea Bradley of the EIS also said to the committee on 20 April that “There is an opportunity now in the fact that the framework has been adjusted to inclu...
Michael Marra
Lab
I certainly do, but I do not think that it has any relevance to the point that I am making. It is entirely appropriate that we take the opportunity to do the...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Shirley-Anne Somerville to speak to and move amendment S6M-04445.2. 16:13
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Shirley-Anne Somerville)
SNP
The Government wants Scotland to be the best place for children to grow up in, and it wants all children—regardless of their background—to flourish and achie...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I think that Oliver Mundell just beat Mr Marra to it, so I will take his intervention.
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
Does the cabinet secretary now accept that it was wrong not to address rural poverty in all the previous years in which the money was being handed out?
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
I point Mr Mundell to the fact that pupil equity funding is allocated through the free school meals provision, which can, of course, take account of children...
Michael Marra
Lab
Education is the Scottish Government’s number 1 priority and “defining mission”. Out of a budget of £40 billion, putting back the money would represent 0.01 ...
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
With the greatest of respect to Mr Marra, I point out that the budget for education is already committed, as the budget is committed across the Scottish Gove...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You must conclude, cabinet secretary.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
SNP
The Government has taken, and will continue to take, important steps on the issue. However, we need to take account of the context in which we are living. We...
Oliver Mundell (Dumfriesshire) (Con)
Con
By introducing criticism of the Government in my amendment, I have perhaps been less generous than colleagues. However, I suspect that the motion would be ha...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
Oliver Mundell was bang on with that latter point. At the very least, you would expect the education secretary, if no other minister, to champion education. ...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
Will the member give way on that point?
Willie Rennie
LD
No, not just now. The UK Government was way ahead. The evidence was there, and I was going on about it. I pleaded with the SNP Government to follow suit, bu...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We move to the open debate. 16:27
Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
The First Minister is fond of telling us that education is her priority. She never tires of telling us how passionate she is about ensuring that every young ...
Kaukab Stewart
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Neil Bibby
Lab
I do not have time, I am sorry. I could understand that decision if the attainment gap had already been closed, but that is clearly not the case—just ask Au...
Kaukab Stewart
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Neil Bibby
Lab
I am sorry—I do not have time. In the cabinet secretary’s closing remarks, I would like to hear how that can possibly be justified, because I have not heard...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Please conclude, Mr Bibby.
Neil Bibby
Lab
What should Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire do to replace the money that is being lost? Yet again, it is the poorest familie...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Thank you, Mr Bibby.
Neil Bibby
Lab
—and the poverty-related attainment gap will worsen. 16:31
Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
SNP
As a member of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, I take my role and responsibilities very seriously. Only a matter of hours ago, the commit...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Is Ruth Maguire aware of any Scottish Government analysis of how the impact of those cuts on the nine authorities will affect them relative to the effect acr...
Ruth Maguire
SNP
Martin Whitfield raises an interesting point. My local authority, North Ayrshire, was one of the nine challenge authorities and, until the pandemic, was prog...