Meeting of the Parliament 17 May 2017
The next question is, that motion S5M-05595, in the name of Liz Smith, on the teacher training programme, as amended, be agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament is concerned by the recent evidence presented to the Education and Skills Committee by trainee teachers, which revealed some serious concerns about the teacher training programme in Scotland, specifically about the organisation of teacher trainee placements and some perceived gaps in the programme regarding supporting trainees in learning key skills for the classroom; believes that these problems are, in some key areas, having a detrimental impact on the preparedness of trainees to meet the challenges of the curriculum for excellence and their ability to deliver better teaching in literacy and numeracy; further believes that more initial teacher training in the support of pupils facing particular challenges, such as living in care or with adoptive families, could help close the attainment gap, and calls on the Scottish Government to work with the teacher training institutions and the General Teaching Council for Scotland to take urgent action to implement the necessary improvements to the teacher training programme in Scotland, and, in acknowledging and valuing the vital role and contribution that new and existing teachers make to children’s education, agrees to engage with local authorities, as teachers’ employers, to ensure that all teachers are confident in teaching literacy and numeracy.
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.