Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 30 October 2024
30 Oct 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Schools (Funding)
I was proud of the £145 million that was included in the budget when the Greens joined the Government in 2021. It was the most significant request that we made in that first budget, but I am not suggesting that it was entirely down to us. We put that forward, but SNP colleagues clearly supported it, too. That should have been enough for every teacher in Scotland who was on a temporary contract to be moved on to a permanent one and for recruitment to hundreds of new permanent teaching posts, but that obviously did not happen. There is no single reason for that. Inflation had a significant impact, as it seriously eroded the spending power of the Scottish Government and local authorities. The resultant pay deal with the teaching workforce made maintaining numbers with the same amount of funding far more challenging. It is also a reality that that happened at the same time as the introduction of the Verity house agreement, which was a reset of the relationship with local government.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-15060, in the name of Miles Briggs, on funding for teachers and schools in Scotland. I invite members who...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Deputy Presiding Officer, from what you have just said, I think that you would make a good headteacher. I thank my Scottish Conservative colleagues, Liam Ke...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Thank you, Mr Briggs. That was exemplary time keeping to kick us off. 15:57
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth)
SNP
I take this opportunity to welcome Miles Briggs to his new position in education. I know that he cares passionately about improving outcomes for Scotland’s c...
Miles Briggs
Con
Dr Sue Ellis, a former professor of education at the University of Strathclyde, has stated that councils are “stuck between a rock and a hard place”, and I...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I would not agree. A number of local authorities have managed to maintain teacher numbers, and I would like to give them the funding right now. I would like ...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Will the member take an intervention?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I have no time in hand, unfortunately. As education secretary, I will fervently defend that policy. I am absolutely clear that it will be much more difficul...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to open the debate for Scottish Labour and to welcome Miles Briggs to his new role. Teachers are the beating heart of our education system. They...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
Do I have any time in hand, Presiding Officer?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Not very much.
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
I will take a brief intervention.
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Does the member at least acknowledge that, in the past year alone, the number of additional learning support assistants has increased by 725, specifically be...
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
As the cabinet secretary knows, the situation for pupils with additional support needs in Scotland is, as the Education, Children and Young People Committee ...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
I was proud of the £145 million that was included in the budget when the Greens joined the Government in 2021. It was the most significant request that we ma...
Stephen Kerr
Con
Will the member give way?
Ross Greer
Green
No, I am afraid not; I do not have time. We need to rethink that approach; £145 million of public money was spent with the intention of resulting in more te...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
I do not know what kind of crazy logic leads to the conclusion that cutting £145.5 million from local authority budgets will protect teacher numbers. Local a...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I find it hard to follow Mr Rennie’s logic. As we have heard today, we have had two years of consecutive reductions in teacher numbers, but the Government ha...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Briefly, cabinet secretary—
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
That is exactly what I have been doing since February to get funding out the door. Local authorities will not agree to it. Some of them want the funding, and...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Briefly—
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Is that a position that Mr Rennie supports?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I can give you some of the time back, Mr Rennie.
Willie Rennie
LD
The Scottish Government is working on a misunderstanding. The education secretary seems to think that local authorities, including SNP-run Glasgow City Counc...
Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
The whole problem with the £145 million is that there is, frankly, no specific agreement about how that money will be spent. I have asked that question a hun...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Look in the mirror!
Stephen Kerr
Con
You can hold up a mirror, if you like.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
You need to conclude, Mr Kerr.