Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 22 September 2015
22 Sep 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Education
Let us look at the education successes, Dr Allan. I am very happy to tell the minister about his Government’s record since 2007.
According to the Scottish survey of literacy and numeracy, in literacy an average 12 per cent fewer pupils were doing well in S2 than in P7; and in numeracy there has been a 24 per cent fall in pupil performance between P7 and S2. Why does pupils’ performance deteriorate as they progress through school? Surely the opposite should be the case.
Much of the debate in this chamber is focused on the desperate and critical need for pupils in computing, science, engineering and maths. However, in the past two years alone, according to the learned societies group on Scottish science submission to the Education and Culture Committee, for nationals 4 and 5, which were previously the standard grades, computing was down 29 per cent, engineering-related subjects were down 13 per cent, chemistry was down 11 per cent, biology was down 8 per cent, and physics and maths were down 5 per cent. Furthermore, the Scottish science baccalaureate, which was launched in 2009, had 151 entrants in 2012 and now has only 92 entrants.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-14311, in the name of Angela Constance, on building on Scotland’s educational success. 14:08
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Angela Constance)
SNP
Despite the fiscal challenges of the past eight years, education in Scotland has made real progress. The Government has rebuilt or refurbished 526 schools, c...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I noticed the cabinet secretary’s careful language. She said that the Scottish Government is doing more than the rest of the UK, but that is not the case in ...
Angela Constance
SNP
The UK Government’s aspiration might well be for 40 per cent of two-year-olds south of the border to access early learning and childcare, but the most recent...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Audit Scotland said: “Some schools have achieved better attainment results than their levels of deprivation would indicate, suggesting that the gap between ...
Angela Constance
SNP
I think that we can all agree that deprivation is a factor that impacts on our children’s attainment. It is a shame that the Tory Government is continuing to...
James Kelly (Rutherglen) (Lab)
Lab
Why is it taking until the end of November to have an attainment adviser in place in every local authority?
Angela Constance
SNP
Some of Mr Kelly’s colleagues on the Labour front bench with an education brief have highlighted that we most certainly do not want to adversely affect the a...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I will always relish the opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s educational success and debate how we should build on it, so I am pleased to speak to my amendme...
Angela Constance
SNP
The latest information from local government shows that education spend this year will go up by 3.3 per cent. Will Iain Gray comment on that? What message do...
Iain Gray
Lab
Ah—so spending on education is not the responsibility of the education secretary. My theme is that it is time that the cabinet secretary started to do her jo...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I thank the Scottish Government for holding a debate on education—in recent years, many education debates have been held in Opposition time. On the same cons...
The Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages (Dr Alasdair Allan)
SNP
You are welcome.
Mary Scanlon
Con
Let us look at the education successes, Dr Allan. I am very happy to tell the minister about his Government’s record since 2007. According to the Scottish s...
Angela Constance
SNP
I wonder whether Mrs Scanlon would be interested to know that since 2007 the number of STEM higher entries has gone up by 12 per cent and STEM higher passes ...
Mary Scanlon
Con
We can trade numbers, but I have just given factual, accurate numbers for the past two years, which come from the learned societies group. If the cabinet sec...
Angela Constance
SNP
Will the member give way?
Mary Scanlon
Con
May I first give this figure? I would be delighted if the cabinet secretary responded to it. An Audit Scotland report confirmed that over the past five years...
Angela Constance
SNP
Ian Wood spoke favourably about the college reform programme and how it had created a great platform and opportunity for the success of our children. We are ...
Mary Scanlon
Con
I do not know whether the cabinet secretary heard what I was saying. Some 150,000 would-be part-time students cannot find a place, due to the cut—
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
No, no, no.
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
Order.
Mary Scanlon
Con
The Government has created 3,000 full-time places. There is also a desperate need for information technology courses, but there are 24,000 fewer students on...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
There is time in hand today.
Mary Scanlon
Con
We are in favour of testing, assessment or whatever the Government wants to call it, as a diagnostic tool to ensure that no child is left behind. Children ar...
The Minister for Children and Young People (Aileen Campbell)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Mary Scanlon
Con
No. I am in my final minute and I have given way twice—and really, what a total waste of time that was. We hope that the Government will work with teachers ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We have a bit of time in hand. Mr McArthur, you have six minutes or thereabouts. 14:40
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
Like members who have spoken previously, I need no persuading about the many strengths of Scotland’s education system. Daily in my constituency I see evidenc...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
Liam McArthur has asked for more resources for colleges, as I understand it, and is also asking for more resources for early learning. Does he have in mind a...