Meeting of the Parliament 05 February 2025
The member raises an important point about temporary accommodation. I know that the matter is being taken forward by the Minister for Housing and the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice. There is an inherent link between the responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and my responsibilities as the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, which I am attempting to set out in the debate. I am more than happy to engage with Jeremy Balfour about the issue that he has raised in relation to my responsibilities.
I will talk a little about how Fair Isle primary school in Kirkcaldy has used its pupil equity fund, because it has been transformative for the school community. It has used the fund to invest in extra teachers, a nurture base and a family support worker; to free up staff time to allow smaller groups of pupils to work together; to support achievement across the school; and even to host coffees and crafts with mums once a week.
I told one of the young boys about the debates that we have in the chamber, which are often about behaviour—I note that the Conservative amendment refers to that. His teacher was going to explain to me the importance of the nurture base, but he said that it would be better if the children did it. Aged 10 and in primary 6, the boy spoke with passion about how the approach that the primary school had taken had helped him. He was much calmer, could control his emotions and felt safe.
At a Burns supper at the weekend, I was giving the immortal memory and was reflecting on the centrality of education in Robert Burns’s life. Education is a part of Scotland’s culture for which we all, irrespective of our party affiliation, hold deep respect. I believe that our respect for education needs to extend beyond school; we need to consider the role of education in breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
We know that about 97 per cent of schools in Scotland benefit from additional funding via the pupil equity fund. I know that members will understand how PEF is supporting schools in their constituencies. Next year’s budget will provide an extra £130 million for PEF directly to headteachers for initiatives that are bespoke to every school—for example, to allow teachers to reduce the costs of the school day. Woodburn primary school in Midlothian is helping families to apply for benefits, including travel cards. During a visit to Braes high school in Falkirk, I was struck by the active and impactful cost of the school day pupil group, which is doing innovative work to reduce or remove costs that are associated with the school day. In recent months, my officials have been working closely with schools in every local authority across the country to gather evidence of the impact of PEF as we reflect on the 10-year programme of investment. We will be sharing their learning in the spring.