Meeting of the Parliament 27 January 2016
However, we can use the supplementary financial memorandum to drill down further into that. The Scottish Conservatives are happy to put before the electorate not just the principle of our proposal but the costings.
The First Minister said:
“Our overall aim is to raise standards everywhere, but to raise them most quickly in the areas that most need it.”
I entirely accept that, but it will not happen if we use the SIMD. It has to be done on a pupil-by-pupil basis.
I move amendment S4M-15430.1, to leave out from “Liberal Democrats” to end and insert:
“in 2007, the Conservatives led by David Cameron proposed the introduction of the pupil premium, after which, along with the Liberal Democrats in the previous UK administration, they successfully made the case for, and introduced, the pupil premium in England in 2011, now worth £2.5 billion a year, and that the pupil premium has been successfully introduced in Wales; notes that Ofsted has said that the pupil premium ‘is making a difference’ and that the National Audit Office observed that the gap between disadvantaged and other pupils narrowed by 4.7% in primary schools and 1.6% in secondary schools between 2011 and 2014, following its introduction; notes that, in comparison, the Attainment Scotland Fund only makes a difference in those areas and schools selected by Scottish ministers, currently ignoring the additional needs of disadvantaged children in 11 out of 32 local authorities; believes that tying funding to those children who need extra help the most, wherever they may live, through the pupil premium, would be fairer and more effective, and calls for it to be urgently introduced to help propel Scottish schools back to the top of the class.”
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
- S4M-15430.1 Education Motion