Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 28 May 2025
28 May 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Teaching Workforce
I say to Ms Duncan-Glancy that I am conscious of time; I have one minute left.
The teacher induction scheme has served us well for many years, and I have discussed it with colleagues from across the chamber in recent weeks. I confirm today that the Government will review the teacher induction scheme and the probationer allocation for new teachers to identify strengths and areas for improvement, so that we can support new teachers into the profession.
That speaks to the point that Mr Rennie made in relation to Aberdeenshire Council’s probationer allocations. We need to review how the scheme is working. At the current time, probation is fully funded by the Government at an average cost of £40 million a year. It is imperative that the Government, in investing in that scheme and in free tuition, sees buy-back in relation to the permanent post challenge that Mr Rennie alluded to.
Mr Rennie also talked about the role of local government. The Government’s deal with local government saw an extra £186.5 million go to our local authorities to help to support extra teachers in Scotland’s schools.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-17669, in the name of Willie Rennie, on a new plan for Scotland’s teaching workforce. I invite members wh...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
Presiding Officer, “I find myself ill with worry of how I will pay my bills. My car is broken but I cannot afford to fix it. My rent is £1000 but I cannot g...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
You need to conclude.
Willie Rennie
LD
I appreciate that teacher workforce planning is not simple, but the Government has made the situation a whole lot worse. I move, That the Parliament acknow...
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth)
SNP
I thank Mr Rennie for lodging the motion for debate during Liberal Democrat time. I thought that the story that he set out at the start of his speech was dee...
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
Does the cabinet secretary agree that there is also a role for other partners in workforce planning—universities, for example—to ensure that we have the righ...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I agree with the sentiments that the member has expressed. Our universities are directly involved in national workforce planning at the current time. I will...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I say to Ms Duncan-Glancy that I am conscious of time; I have one minute left. The teacher induction scheme has served us well for many years, and I have di...
Willie Rennie
LD
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I am happy to give way on that point, although I am conscious of time.
Willie Rennie
LD
When will the cabinet secretary mention unemployed primary school teachers?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I have five minutes for my speech and less than a minute left. I will come on to talk about that, because part of the issue is specifically about our primary...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I thank Willie Rennie and the Liberal Democrats for using their party business time to hold the debate. It is important that we highlight the pressures that ...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Willie Rennie and the Scottish Liberal Democrats for bringing to Parliament this crucial motion, which we will support at decision time. Scottish Lab...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
If the cabinet secretary is prepared to explain how she will take responsibility, I will be happy to take the intervention.
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I am here, as cabinet secretary, taking responsibility today. I gently say to the member that local authorities, not the Scottish Government, employ our teac...
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
The cabinet secretary cannot see that we have gaps and that we have teachers without jobs in some areas and in some subjects. Only the Government has the ove...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
The figure of £145 million—now £186.5 million—should be enough to move every teacher who is on a temporary contract into a permanent role and to recruit hund...
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (LD)
LD
It is hard to believe, after 17 years of the present Government, that we are having this debate. We really should not be, but here we are. Let us not beat ab...
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
I want every child in Scotland to get the best possible start in life, and education is an affa big part of that best start. We have great schools and we hav...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I am grateful to the Liberal Democrats for bringing this topic to the chamber, to allow us to have another education debate. I was thinking about the last ed...
Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
We will not be able to tackle the workforce challenges in education until we tackle the massive issues in our schools, which this Government has failed to do...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
George Adam will be the final speaker in the open debate. You have up to four minutes, Mr Adam. 15:31
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
As I have listened to the debate, what I was planning to say has changed about three or four times, so I apologise if my speech ends up being a bit of a mish...
Willie Rennie
LD
In making his reasonable contribution, does the member recognise that the Government has contributed to the surplus, and therefore the unemployment, of prima...
George Adam
SNP
Our job is to work together on solutions. The cabinet secretary has been open about how she is willing to work with members and others to see how we can go f...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We move to the winding-up speeches. 15:36
Maggie Chapman
Green
There has been some discussion of the need for collaboration between national and local government to achieve a sustainable teaching workforce. The Liberal D...