Hansard

The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick) NPA

Good morning. I remind members to switch off all mobile phones and electronic devices.The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-01134, in the name...

The Minister for Children and Young People (Angela Constance) SNP

I am delighted to open this morning’s debate. Apart from allowing me to outline the Government’s ambitions for all of our children and young people, it also ...

Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD) LD

The minister will be well aware that there is cross-party support for what is set out in GIRFEC. She may also be aware that the Education and Culture Committ...

Angela Constance SNP

Liam McArthur is right that, despite the fact that Scotland is a small country, the implementation of the early years framework and GIRFEC is uneven. That is...

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) Lab

I cannot disagree with the intent behind the minister’s words, but I question the actions that are being taken and the implementation. With regard to post-16...

Angela Constance SNP

As Mr Macintosh well knows, this Government, through its work with the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, will ensure that the £2 billion...

Ken Macintosh Lab

In the middle of that answer, the minister said that the Government is still committed to maintaining student numbers. Could she further clarify that point? ...

Angela Constance SNP

We are meeting our commitments and we will be doing the best by children and young people, starting in the early years and going right through to post-16 edu...

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab) Lab

I am pleased to have the opportunity to debate attainment and the achievements of our young people. This is the first chance in the current session of Parlia...

Angela Constance SNP

I remind Mr Macintosh that this Government has invested £4 million in activity agreements that have reached out to children who are furthest away from educat...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Mr Macintosh, you can be assured that, following that very lengthy intervention, you will get additional time.

Ken Macintosh Lab

Thank you very much.My argument was not that the Government is in hock to vested interests; it was that it is taking a rather elitist approach to education. ...

Angela Constance SNP

What is elitist about our leadership on and investment in the early years? We are the first Government to really grasp the nettle of preventative spend, whic...

Ken Macintosh Lab

If the Government were committed to early years intervention, we would be with it entirely, but the trouble is that the talk is there, but the £50 million ch...

The Presiding Officer NPA

Can we hear the member, please?

Ken Macintosh Lab

Glasgow City Council, which has been trying for years to invest in nurture groups, is continually criticised by the Government for the work that it does. Int...

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Michael Russell) SNP

Will the member give way?

The Presiding Officer NPA

The member is over his time.

Ken Macintosh Lab

The basic EMA is still there, but all the additional money to retain people has gone.Schools of ambition have gone, colleges’ funding has been cut, EMAs have...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

I will refocus attention on the subject of the debate. I do not think that there is a more important subject for debate than how we should raise attainment f...

Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab) Lab

As a former teacher, I find Liz Smith’s arguments about the inability of the present management structure to connect well with curriculum for excellence extr...

Liz Smith Con

David Cameron put the argument across strongly when the Education and Culture Committee took evidence. The curriculum for excellence allows individual school...

Paul Wheelhouse (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

Although members around the chamber might disagree about the means by which to achieve this, we as parliamentarians are all motivated by our strong desire to...

Ken Macintosh Lab

Does Mr Wheelhouse simply judge the success or failure of Scottish policies on whether they are better than English policies?

Paul Wheelhouse SNP

No, indeed not. This debate has been characterised by reference to Scottish Government cuts and people need to recognise that, within a tight financial settl...

Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab

A report that was published in the Sunday Herald last weekend, which has been referred to many times already in the debate, showed just how clear the link be...

George Adam (Paisley) (SNP) SNP

First, I apologise for my voice; I have man flu. As all the women in the chamber know, men have difficulty with dealing with a slight cold.When I came to the...

Ken Macintosh Lab

Is Mr Adam guaranteeing that, when a child enters a class of 18 in primary 1, he will stay in a class of 18 throughout his school career?

George Adam SNP

I was talking about your idea that there would be constant change throughout a child’s primary school education. That simply will not happen in any school.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab

Mr Adam, would you address your remarks through the chair, please? Thank you very much.