Committee
Audit Committee, 13 Feb 2007
13 Feb 2007 · S2 · Audit Committee
Item of business
Teaching Profession
Antony Clark (Audit Scotland):
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I echo Bob Black's overall statement that the department's response is broadly positive, but the committee may want to ask the department for further information about several aspects of the response once the department has completed its developmental work or finished its discussions with the Scottish negotiating committee for teachers. As the committee has said, the settlement is a partnership agreement and some elements can be progressed only in partnership with teaching staff and employers' representatives.The one issue that I will highlight is that which Bob Black picked up: the department's response is perhaps less than full on the impact on head teachers of reductions in class contact time. The evidence to the Education Committee was that that problem is large; it was also picked up in the HMIE report.The point that was made several times in the earlier discussion about looking to the future was important to how we approached our report and is important to how we intend to do our follow-up work. We intend to work closely with HMIE in determining how we approach our follow-up. We want to ensure that we pick up on the changes in the education policy landscape that have taken place since the agreement was made. The world has not stood still; big changes have occurred in the curriculum. We know from producing our report that structural changes have taken place in education authorities through the introduction of faculties. We want to see whether the building blocks on which we reported are delivering the long-term benefit and change that we all expect from the investment that has been made in the agreement.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Ind
Under item 3, the committee will consider a response from the Scottish Executive on the committee's seventh report of 2006, on the Auditor General for Scotla...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
In our legacy paper, we should perhaps recommend the introduction of an Audit Committee award for complete gobbledegook that does not mean much to any ordina...
The Convener:
Ind
That is exactly why I drew that sentence to members' attention. Indeed, it might be a worthy candidate for such an award—we could consider that under agenda ...
Mr Welsh:
SNP
I note that the paper is headed "Draft Scottish Executive Response". Is there any particular reason for that? Is it work in progress?Referring to the second ...
The Convener:
Ind
Obviously, I cannot answer the question.
Mr Welsh:
SNP
I am underlining the point that the response was inadequate, as you said. We asked the department for "clear outcome measures". We were told that it looks to...
The Convener:
Ind
Do you have any further points?
Mr Welsh:
SNP
If you do not mind.
The Convener:
Ind
No—carry on. We are all enjoying this.
Mr Welsh:
SNP
We asked"whether improvements in classroom practice claimed as a result of implementing the agreement … are actually being delivered, and … whether value-for...
The Convener:
Ind
To be fair, the point was on a recommendation that we made to the Auditor General for Scotland and not the department. That is why the department's response ...
Mr Welsh:
SNP
I would have thought that the department would have a pretty good idea whether it is delivering value for money. After all, it takes the action, whereas Audi...
Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab):
Lab
There is a problem with the Executive response. To be fair, the problem derives not from the response but from our report. Indeed, the problem can be said to...
Robin Harper:
Green
At this point, I should declare as an interest my continued membership of the Educational Institute of Scotland.The problem with the idea of assessing value ...
The Convener:
Ind
Thank you. After we have heard from Andrew Welsh and Margaret Smith, I will invite the Auditor General to comment.
Mr Welsh:
SNP
Our report contained some fundamental points. Although we said that further actions"might be needed to meet the objectives of the agreement",we made some hig...
The Convener:
Ind
You make a fair point, but I could play devil's advocate and say that it is necessary to take into account the context. Our report was to be followed by a re...
Mr Welsh:
SNP
I fully concede that the context is important, but the problem is that time is passing by. We made some specific, straightforward comments, but I am dissatis...
The Convener:
Ind
In this case, impatience is a virtue.
Margaret Jamieson:
Lab
Andrew Welsh forgets that the agreement exists between the employers, the Scottish Executive and the trade unions. Even though we are held in high esteem, no...
Mr Welsh:
SNP
I note that the Executive states:"We are writing this week to interested stakeholders".I give it due credit for that.
Margaret Jamieson:
Lab
It is the end bit that I am interested in.
Mr Welsh:
SNP
Exactly.
The Convener:
Ind
Auditor General, I would welcome your—or your team's—comments.
Mr Black:
I have one or two thoughts that might help to inform the committee. There are two points about the general context. First, as I am sure the committee knows, ...
Antony Clark (Audit Scotland):
I echo Bob Black's overall statement that the department's response is broadly positive, but the committee may want to ask the department for further informa...
Susan Deacon:
Lab
I will pick up on several strands of what has been said. I suspect that I am in legacy mode again. I was struck by Andrew Welsh's concern that a review was b...
The Convener:
Ind
Following the briefing from the Auditor General and Antony Clark, and comments from Andrew Welsh, Margaret Smith and Susan Deacon, I suggest that I write to ...
The Convener:
Ind
As there are no other points that members want me to pick up on, we will focus on the timetable. I thank members for their comments, which the department wil...