Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 08 March 2017
08 Mar 2017 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Education
We have introduced 11 new mechanisms to encourage people to join the teaching profession, we increased postgraduate diploma in education intake by 19 per cent last year, and I have increased the intake by 370 teachers this year. For my efforts, Aberdeen City Council wants to offer teachers voluntary redundancy. How is that in any way a sensible step for Aberdeen City Council to take?
The Government has set out in the national improvement framework an agenda for strengthening education based on the foundations that we have. I am the first to accept, as I have accepted in the Government’s amendment, that challenges exist. However, there is an opportunity for the political parties in Parliament to work with the Government to progress the agenda and to contribute positively to it. What concerns me about the characterisation of Scottish education that we have heard from Mr Gray today is the unwillingness to acknowledge the strength of the performance that has been achieved.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-04456, in the name of Iain Gray, on the Scottish Government and education: 10 years of letting down teach...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Too often, when we debate education in general and schools in particular, we forget the historical context. The truth is that the responsibility of this Parl...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I ask Mr Sarwar and Mr Dornan not to have a discussion across the chamber.
Iain Gray
Lab
We have aspired to have the best schools that we can imagine. Now, it seems that the Government’s benchmark is to be less bad than England. Is that really th...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
I hear what the member says, so let us talk about the situation in Scotland. Is he aware that West Dunbartonshire Council sought to cut the school week by ha...
Iain Gray
Lab
To tell the truth, when it comes to cutting the school week, what I remember best is the massive public meeting in Renfrewshire when the council there was ru...
The Minister for Childcare and Early Years (Mark McDonald)
SNP
Iain Gray cites teacher shortages. Does he feel that it is sensible for Labour-led Aberdeen City Council to have written out to teachers to offer them volunt...
Iain Gray
Lab
Every council in the country has laboured under the strain of the £1.5 billion of cuts that local government has suffered in the past few years. Mr Swinney ...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney)
SNP
Iain Gray said that it is “right and reasonable” to hold the Government to account. That is, of course, correct. The Government is here to be held to account...
Iain Gray
Lab
I regularly go to all those high schools, and what they tell me is that they ain’t got enough teachers and cannot recruit teachers for the vacancies that the...
John Swinney
SNP
What those schools will also tell Mr Gray—Interruption. Lewis Macdonald is shouting that I should answer the point. I have answered in my amendment the point...
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Mr Swinney mentioned teacher training and recruitment. That is precisely the crisis that local authorities across the north of Scotland face. Mr Swinney refe...
John Swinney
SNP
We have introduced 11 new mechanisms to encourage people to join the teaching profession, we increased postgraduate diploma in education intake by 19 per cen...
Iain Gray
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
John Swinney
SNP
Hold on a second. We have had a 30 per cent increase in higher passes since 2007, an increase to 93.3 per cent in positive destinations being achieved by yo...
Iain Gray
Lab
Mr Swinney must acknowledge that I did celebrate successes in education in my speech. The point that he misses is that the motion is about his and his Govern...
John Swinney
SNP
I will go through them again in case Mr Gray did not hear. Since 2007, when this Government came to office, we have had a 30 per cent increase in the higher ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Just a wee minute. I would like to hear all speeches, please, thank you.
John Swinney
SNP
Yes—those achievements have been by the young people of Scotland, but they have done that in an education system over which this Government has been presidin...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I am sorry, but the cabinet secretary is in his last minute.
John Swinney
SNP
Okay, Presiding Officer. I will conclude by outlining some of the measures that the Government is taking to address the issues. The Government has made avai...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Liz Smith. You have seven minutes, please. 14:28
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I will start on what I hope is a constructive note, because I think that some of Mr Gray’s analysis is correct, and that some of the cabinet secretary’s anal...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Liz Smith
Con
Of course.
Neil Findlay
Lab
Does Liz Smith agree that closure of the undergraduate primary teaching degree course at the University of Edinburgh will be a further hindrance to recruitin...
Liz Smith
Con
Yes, I agree. There are serious concerns about that closure, so it must be looked at. I know that the cabinet secretary has initiated a new discussion about ...
Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
The member is in her last minute.