Committee
Education and Gaelic Committee 23 June 2026 [Draft]
23 Jun 2026 · S7 · Education and Gaelic Committee
Item of business
Priorities
Thank you—that is helpful.
In the same item of business
10:03
The Convener
SNP
Our final item is to discuss our priorities for the parliamentary session. I will go around the room and ask everybody to discuss what they would like to be ...
Katherine Sangster
Lab
One of my main priorities is the delivery of the 1,140 hours of early learning and childcare, which leads on from the previous committee’s legacy report and ...
George Adam
SNP
For me, a priority is to look at child poverty and the attainment gap and to take that a step further into further and higher education. Where are we with pl...
Duncan Dunlop
LD
I will raise similar issues to those that have been covered. On additional support needs, why has there been such a big increase and what can we do about tha...
Angela Ross
Reform
We want to focus on the curriculum for excellence, how it is being delivered and where some of the shortfalls are, particularly around the structure of the c...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you—that is helpful.
Patricia Gibson
SNP
I have jotted down a few ideas.I agree that we need to be looking at the childcare offer. The commitment to deliver childcare for children from nine months u...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you for that, Patricia.I welcome Laura Moodie to the committee. Do you have any interests to declare?
Laura Moodie (South Scotland) (Green)
Green
I have no registered interests to declare.
The Convener
SNP
Will you set out what you would like the committee to focus on?
Laura Moodie
Green
Thank you, convener, and apologies to everybody for my tardiness. I was struggling somewhat with the train system in the south of Scotland.I was interested t...
Duncan Dunlop
LD
There is one issue that has not come up. I should have declared that I have a masters in community, youth work and non-formal education.There has been quite ...
George Adam
SNP
Duncan Dunlop brings up a valid point, and our predecessor committee did some work on the issue a few times. We often talk about hard-to-reach children and f...
Laura Moodie
Green
On that point about youth work, a lot of seasonal childcare in rural areas is provided by the youth work sector. Most of the parents I know are currently cob...
Patricia Gibson
SNP
On what George Adam was saying about hard-to-reach children, I should say that schools are getting good at identifying children who do not go to school but w...
The Convener
SNP
It has been helpful to hear members set out a few of their priorities. I can see that there is an overarching desire to look for the best outcomes that we ca...
Angela Ross
Reform
On positive destinations, it is excellent that we have raised a few issues around youth education outside of schools and how we support our youth. I had an e...
Katherine Sangster
Lab
To build on Patricia Gibson’s point about teaching Scottish history in schools and children being able to learn Gaelic, it is also important to embed in the ...
Patricia Gibson
SNP
Absolutely.
Duncan Dunlop
LD
This links to what Angela Ross said, and it might fall under other committees’ mandates. I worked a lot with young people who were considered to be in positi...
Patricia Gibson
SNP
That is sort of the point that I made, but I was not as specific as you, Duncan. I spoke about university, college and apprenticeship funding and ensuring th...
The Convener
SNP
On the point about languages, this is the Education and Gaelic Committee, obviously. Also, on the point about Scottish history and culture, we should definit...
Patricia Gibson
SNP
I talked about life skills, and BSL is very much part of that. In case there is any misunderstanding externally, I should make the point that when we talk ab...
Laura Moodie
Green
It might also be worth looking again at our approach to English as a second language and thinking of that more holistically. Quite often, that is approached ...
The Convener
SNP
Do members have any further points? No.That was a lot—we heard some fantastic ideas. As I said, I can see ways in which we can join up many of these thoughts...
The Convener
SNP
Do we agree to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic to give evidence, once the programme for government has been announced?Members ...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you very much for attending your first committee meeting. I hope that you all manage to have a fantastic break over recess and come back fully refreshe...