Meeting of the Parliament 03 September 2024
Mr Kerr covers a few different areas, and I will try to respond to each in turn.
First, I will pick up on a favourite topic for Mr Kerr and others in this chamber, which is the issue of Opposition spokespeople not being invited to a series of meetings that I held with teachers and others who work in education. I make no apology for that. It was really important to create a safe space in which teaching staff could share their experiences of what had happened in schools, and I do not think that having other politicians in the room would have been helpful to that.
However, Mr Kerr also knows that I am a collegiate cabinet secretary and that I engage with him regularly on a range of educational matters, which is exactly why I met with Opposition members prior to the election to talk about our plans. Broadly, and particularly in relation to behaviour in schools, we have seen quite good party consensus. We may hear more about that in the questions that will follow.
Mr Kerr asked specifically about consequences and about exclusion. For his understanding, I will say that new anti-bullying guidance will be published by the end of this year and, on Friday, Education Scotland published updated attendance guidance. I also draw his attention to an infographic that the Scottish Government published today, which looks specifically at data regarding pupils leaving school after secondary 4. He knows that I am currently concerned about our S4 leavers’ trajectories and positive destinations and that I am also concerned about their behaviour and attendance.
His third point related to consequences, which will be covered in the action plan that is to be published by March next year. We are working with the headteachers task force that I established last year to further develop that. Mr Kerr mentioned exclusion, which will also feature in the updated action plan in March. I can give him further practical examples from the guidance that is being published today, not least the guidance on mobile phones.
He made points about the EIS and about resources. The EIS was part of SAGRABIS and took part in formulating the guidance, which it broadly welcomed. I recognise Mr Kerr’s point about resources, but he also recognises that, this year, the Scottish Government is investing record levels in our education system. If he wants me to invest more, I must ask him from where that would come, because, at the current time—