Meeting of the Parliament 18 December 2024
Mr Rennie will know from our meeting yesterday that I am very open to engaging with the Opposition parties on a range of amendments. The fundamental point that I am making in my opening statement is that the need and impetus for reform are very real. There is limited time between now and the 2026 election, so I am very keen to make progress on the bill and deliver on those expectations, notwithstanding the member’s challenge. I am happy to engage with him and any other member on that point.
I thank all the stakeholders who have contributed their views on the bill thus far. When I reflect on the impetus for reform that they have expressed, I look back on my experiences in the classroom, on my time as a member of the Education and Skills Committee in the previous parliamentary session, and on the historical challenges that we have experienced with the qualifications body.
I have listened carefully to the Parliament’s views on the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I know that rebuilding trust with Scotland’s teachers will be critical. That is why, as I have previously set out to the Parliament, reform is not in itself a panacea. Cultural change in both Government and our agencies will be essential if we are to build a new qualifications system that carries the credence that children, parents and the teaching profession will expect.