Hansard

I have been a minister for five years and, as chance would have it, this is my first piece of legislation. I am quite sure that, when I get home tonight, my eight-year-old will be somewhat disappointed that the bill does not include provisions that ban singing practice, dancing with girls or homework.

Over the weeks and the months, we have all had a wide-ranging debate on many matters that have a direct impact on Scottish education. We have discussed at length the importance of leadership at all levels. I commend the bill for its introduction of the qualification for headship. The chief education officers’ posts are important, but we must have quality leadership at all levels and registered teachers in all our schools.

The bill has a number of practical measures to improve access to education. I assure Ms Hilton that, as a Government, we will continue to work with the Child Poverty Action Group. The bill certainly responds to many of the issues that it has raised with us. We will also continue to seek improvements where we can.

I am proud that we will introduce regulations to ensure a consistency of school clothing grants, that we are extending the free school meal entitlement to children in early years settings with private providers, and that we are ensuring a national entitlement of a school week in primary school based on 25 hours a week, reflecting the curriculum for excellence.

Curriculum for excellence was built on the basis of a primary school week of 25 hours. Where there are well-made exceptions that are in the interests of children, they will, of course, be reflected in the regulations and how we go forth.

I take on board some of the criticisms in and around the lack of consultation. I am sure that members will understand and accept that, sometimes, a decision has to be made. On balance, I would rather be criticised for the action that I have taken rather than the action that I have not taken.

At the heart of the bill is the national improvement framework. It is the next stage of curriculum for excellence. In its recent report, the OECD was very supportive of our approach, and it has laid down the challenge to us that we have the opportunity to be world leaders in developing an integrated assessment and evaluation framework.

We have debated standardised assessment at length. There is an opportunity here, given that 30 out of 32 local authorities do some form of standardised assessment. It is important to recognise—I say this directly to Mr McArthur and to Alison Johnstone—that we have been clear, given the length of consultation and our reflection with parents, teachers, representative bodies and educational experts, that we have absolutely no desire to introduce an assessment window. The Government is not proposing or introducing an assessment window in any shape or form. The decisions about when to assess children should be taken by teachers. Our Scottish standardised assessment will bolster professional teacher judgment and in no way replace it.

To pick up on Iain Gray’s point, we will publish for the first time the proportion of children reaching curriculum for excellence levels. That information will, of course, be informed by the Scottish standardised assessment tool, as well as the other tools that teachers use daily.

In essence, we must ensure that we have the right information at the right time for each and every child, so that our system can act to improve the outcomes and achievements of our children. We will of course have to measure progress; this Government is not shying away from that. We have to step up to the challenge that the OECD set us by ensuring that we develop the right measurements that reflect the breadth of the curriculum and how we are trying to equip our children for an ever-changing world.

The First Minister has made it clear that within a decade we want to be within touching distance of closing the attainment gap. Nothing else is good enough.