Hansard

I am proud of the Government’s record on education. The recent report on Scotland’s schools by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development review group shows that there is plenty to be positive about. However, the report also underlines a number of challenges, and we must be open about where we can do better. The First Minister has been clear in setting out the Government’s twin priorities of closing the attainment gap and improving educational outcomes for all of Scotland’s children. The Education (Scotland) Bill contains a range of measures that move us closer to achieving those goals.

The drive to tackle the attainment gap is at the heart of the debate, and the introduction of the national improvement framework has been the focus of much discussion. The proposed use of standardised assessments has certainly been one of the more contentious parts of the bill, but the Government has consulted widely on the matter, including over 5,000 teachers, parents, children, academics and other stakeholders in its discussions. The minister has worked hard to address concerns about the proposals, and I welcome assurances that teacher judgment will continue to take priority.

It is worth noting that the OECD expert group singled out the national improvement framework proposals for praise. Its report said:

“Scotland has the opportunity to lead the world in developing an innovative national assessment, evaluation and improvement framework that is consistent with what is known about promoting student, professional, school and system learning.”

Part 2 of the bill covers the provision of Gaelic-medium education. I have been contacted about the issue by a number of Gaelic and non-Gaelic speakers. I was interested to read the letter from Bruce Robertson, the interim chief executive officer of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, praising the cross-party work of the Parliament on Gaelic education and urging all members to get behind the bill.

Mr Robertson has been clear that, in developing the statutory guidance on the presumption in favour of Gaelic-medium education, Bòrd na Gàidhlig will work to strike the right balance between prioritising the needs of learners and taking reasonable account of local circumstances. My view is that, whenever possible, people who wish to learn and teach through Gaelic-medium education should be given the opportunity to do so. Therefore, I welcome the provisions in the bill that strengthen support on that.

The amendments on school clothing grants that the Scottish Government introduced are also worth highlighting. The Child Poverty Action Group and others are to be applauded for bringing attention to the inconsistency in school clothing grants across the country. The provisions in the bill are designed to end the existing postcode lottery, thereby removing an important barrier to education and helping hard-pressed families. I would welcome further detail from the minister on what the Government plans to do to guarantee a minimum school clothing grant for disadvantaged children.

I thank everyone who contributed to the work of the Education and Culture Committee during the passage of the bill. I have not been able to cover the whole bill in a speech of three minutes but, throughout the process, the input and help of those who contributed have been welcome. Their input has been invaluable in making a number of improvements to the draft legislation, and I look forward to the bill moving us another step closer towards ensuring a truly world-class education system for Scotland’s children.