Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 02 February 2016
02 Feb 2016 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Education (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3
I thank all those who contributed to the debate. I fully accept Mark Griffin’s points about the need to re-engage with international benchmarks, and Liz Smith made a fair point about the qualitative nature of that data and the assessments. I thank her for her clear and consistent support for that approach and for indicating her support for amendment 32.
Iain Gray elegantly set out the cart-before-the-horse approach that has been taken to that element of the bill. We were being asked to vote on a national improvement framework that nobody had yet seen—certainly no one on the committee had. I acknowledge that Labour members, like the Conservatives and the SNP, support the reintroduction of national testing in primary schools. The cabinet secretary alluded to being heartened by the widespread support for the national improvement framework, and there is much to be welcomed in the focus on leadership, supporting teachers and engagement with parents, but when she talks about the consensus that exists she must recognise that, equally, there is a consensus in opposition that is concerned about the approach that is being taken in relation to imposition of national testing in primary schools. It has been described as a “retrograde step”; that is just one of the reasons why I and my colleagues will not be supporting it in the context of the national improvement framework.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is stage 3 proceedings on the Education (Scotland) Bill. In dealing with the amendments, members should have the bill as amended at...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
I advise members that we are having a sound check, because members are, I understand, having difficulty hearing what is said. Section A1—Pupils experienci...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Group 1 is on inequality of outcome and so on, in relation to pupils with speech, language and communication needs. Amendment 17, in the name of George Adam,...
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
Closing the educational attainment gap is a key priority for the Scottish Government. I whole-heartedly support it in that aim, but we must look at the full ...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I rise to support the amendments in the name of George Adam. The bill’s purpose is to close the attainment gap. Mr Adam said that we need to look at the bigg...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I think that the sound in the chamber has improved, but I make a plea to members to ensure that their microphones are directed properly.
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
At stage 2, I spoke to several amendments from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in relation to the Gaelic language, and we are very suppor...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
During the committee’s evidence gathering at stage 1, we heard criticism of the bill’s provisions that are aimed at reducing inequalities of outcome in our e...
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Angela Constance)
SNP
First, I thank George Adam and others for their sensitive presentation of the issues. I understand their concerns regarding the impact of speech, language an...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I invite George Adam to wind up—as quickly as possible, please—and say whether he intends to press or withdraw his amendment.
George Adam
SNP
I am pleased that we have had this debate. I have never been so popular with the Opposition members in the Parliament, but I am passionate about the issue. C...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Group 2 is on inequalities of outcome—looked-after children. Amendment 18, in the name of Mark Griffin, is grouped with amendments 21 and 22.
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I ask members to support amendments 18, 21 and 22. We believe that we need to put looked-after children at the heart of the attainment gap challenge, and we ...
Angela Constance
SNP
I thank Mr Griffin for once again using the opportunity that the bill offers to recognise the particular educational challenges that are faced by our looked-...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I invite Mark Griffin to wind up and to say whether he intends to press or withdraw amendment 18.
Mark Griffin
Lab
The cabinet secretary described the bill as “the start of a process”. The start of the process would have been to make a statement of intent as to how we...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The question is, that amendment 18 be agreed to. Are we all agreed? Members: No.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Parliament is not agreed, so there will be a division. As it is the first division of the bill at stage 3, I suspend Parliament for five minutes, after which...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We move to the division on amendment 18. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Baxter, Jayne (Mid Scotland ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The result of the division is: For 42, Against 73, Abstentions 0. Amendment 18 disagreed to. Amendments 19 to 22 not moved. Amendments 23 to 25 not move...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Group 3 is on the national improvement framework—standardised testing. Amendment 29, in the name of Liam McArthur, is grouped with amendments 30 to 32 and 39...
Liam McArthur
LD
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, for allowing the amendments to be considered. I observe at the outset that Mark Griffin’s amendment 39 appears to be dri...
Mark Griffin
Lab
The national improvement framework will result in a new era of data gathering by the Scottish Government on educational performance and outcomes. That new da...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
As Scottish Conservatives have said many times before, we are firmly committed to standardised and consistent testing that allows parents and teachers to hav...
Iain Gray
Lab
I oppose the amendments in Liam McArthur’s name. With this group of amendments—group 3—we reach the heart of the bill: the national improvement framework. ...
Angela Constance
SNP
The national improvement framework represents a significant step forward. I have been heartened by the widespread support since the First Minister launched i...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I ask Liam McArthur to wind up and to say whether he intends to press or to seek to withdraw amendment 29.
Liam McArthur
LD
I thank all those who contributed to the debate. I fully accept Mark Griffin’s points about the need to re-engage with international benchmarks, and Liz Smit...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
The question is, that amendment 29 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
There will be a division. For Finnie, John (Highlands and Islands) (Ind) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Hume, Jim (South Scotland) (LD) Johnstone...