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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

Education Reforms

Is not the reality for parents and teachers unspent pupil equity fund money, unfilled headteacher vacancies and more bureaucracy in classrooms through yet more guidance? If the education secretary wants to work with teachers, as he has said to Parliament today, why does he not...

Tavish Scott LD Chamber

General Question Time · Jarlshof (Coach Parking)

Sumburgh hotel, local bus businesses and the cruise line industry have been told for three years that Historic Environment Scotland, the agencies and the Government would sort out those coach park facilities, but all that we have had has been endless buck passing. Why?

8. Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

General Question Time · Jarlshof (Coach Parking)

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in developing coach park facilities for the Jarlshof site in Shetland. (S5O-03389)

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

As others have observantly noted, the bill is somewhat short, with only three sections, so I am more confident than usual that everyone in the debate will genuinely have read the whole thing, which is possibly not something that we will be able to say about the Planning (Scotl...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

Primary 1 Standardised Assessments

I thank the cabinet secretary for his statement. Will he explain to Parliament why he hired an academic from the English educational regime that nationalists condemn, and from a country where high-stakes testing is the norm, to produce the arguments that he wanted? How many mo...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

But that does not involve giving Susan Boyd the support that she needs, which involves extra assistance in her class to get those kids out of school.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

So, you have given teachers guidance.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

What is Education Scotland doing to break down the barriers that exist in terms of risk?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

Are there some practical things that you would like to be done that would help that to happen? You mentioned the Care Inspectorate. Does it have to do a bit more in that regard? Could other agencies do something?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

In your submission, you made a good point about taking children outside the school and into the wider world. I come from a farming background, and when I was farming—long before I was in politics—we used to get primary classes coming to the farm around lambing time. The childr...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

Thank you. That is very fair.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

I want to go back to the point that Susan Boyd made about her union’s submission on initiatives. It helpfully sets out five initiatives—I can think of six, if we include languages in schools—that primary school teachers are being asked to implement, if that is the right expres...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

That is not the point that Susan Boyd was making. She was talking about support for teachers in primary classes.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

That is welcome.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

That is not what asked. I wonder whether Andrew Bruce can give us some context to this issue.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

But you are not aware of it.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

But you have just explained to Jenny Gilruth that you are in charge of STEM for Education Scotland. Are you telling us that you are not aware of this issue being flagged up?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

That is not what I asked. Can you answer the question?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

As far as you are aware, the teaching of STEM has never been flagged up in an inspection report as being affected by the pressure that Susan Boyd and thousands of teachers across Scotland have been reporting.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

Ian Menzies, is there one school inspection report that demonstrates that this is an issue in Scottish education?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

According the Government’s own figures, class sizes in primary schools are rising significantly in most parts of Scotland, so the general pressures are clear and, I assume, affect all aspects of teaching.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

I wonder whether our teachers can tell us whether the rising class sizes in primary schools are helping or hindering the teaching of STEM subjects.

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Committee

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Inquiry

I have some supplementary questions to ask in this area.

Tavish Scott LD Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Teachers Pay Agreement (Implications for Public Sector Pay Policy)

As the minister will be aware, exactly the same circumstances apply to Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd with regard to the pending air traffic controllers strike, which has been suspended for next Wednesday but is still threatened for the future. Will she bring the same flex...

5. Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

Portfolio Question Time · Teachers Pay Agreement (Implications for Public Sector Pay Policy)

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for its public sector pay policy of the agreement reached with the teaching profession. (S5O-03328)

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

Sustainable Aquaculture

The cabinet secretary will be aware that the Norwegian industry is trialling a mechanism to filter fish medicines out of the water that is used to treat fish. Will he immediately ensure that those trials are replicated in Scotland, to the benefit of the marine environment and ...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Will Richard Demarco give us a perspective on assessment of artistic quality? Is there a role for that in funding of arts?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

There is a lesson there.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Ken Mathieson’s point was that assessors would, in his case, have been people who knew about jazz.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

So, you think that the previous system had considerable advantages.

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Committee

I am very tempted to get into that philosophical discussion, but perhaps I had better not. David Leddy has already touched on this issue. The really interesting bit in your submission, in the context of peer review, is your observation that “Organisations should not receive ...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Local Commercial Radio

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Local Commercial Radio

So you do not think that, five years hence, the consumer will have made much of a switch to other platforms—apart, of course, from Spotify and the other radio services that we have mentioned. Broadly speaking, we will still be listening to FM radio.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Local Commercial Radio

I do not want to steal George Adam’s thunder, but I just want to understand this point. Is the view that you have just expressed that of commercial radio not just in Scotland but across the whole of the UK?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Local Commercial Radio

When you say short to mid-term, what do you mean? Is it 10 years?

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Committee

Local Commercial Radio

First, I thank Mr Findlay for mentioning Ian Anderson and the SIBC. Forgive me for the daft-laddie question, but why do you want to expand on FM?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

Would it be fair to say that that has taken place at local authority level?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

As a committee, we found that to be one of the most difficult exercises. I do not know whether any of you sat on the implementing the curriculum group, but when we looked at it we found that it was not covered in success. There were nine years of it going around in circles.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

No kidding. What Larry Flanagan said relates to Alasdair Allan’s question about the agencies. The clarity that we would all expect from the system is not there from Education Scotland, the senior advisor to the Government. That is the part that I am interested in. You have al...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

I will try asking the questions. I am the teacher here, so hold on a minute.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

Thank you for that, but you have kind of made my point: you all gave a range of different answers. You are all raising your hands now, but you have just given your answers.

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

I apologise for my lateness. It is not every day that a primary school from Shetland comes down to the Parliament, so I was showing the children around. They had a lot of questions that they would ask you guys, but I will resist saying what they were, because Alasdair Allan mi...

Tavish Scott LD Chamber

I entirely take the point that the cabinet secretary has just made about the three-year senior phase, but is not that one of the aspects that could be carefully considered in the OECD review? Parliament considered that last week. In fairness, I point out that the Government ac...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

We are debating education on the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, after 12 years of Scottish National Party Government and four years on from the First Minister’s speech saying that education policy is number 1. Why do teachers, parents and young people see little ...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

Is that fundamentally whisky and salmon farming?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

It is outwith the UK.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

With whom is the surplus?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

My last question is related to Tony Mackay’s briefing paper, which was sent to your office. I thought that giving you a fair chance to look at it was a courteous thing to do. He made an interesting point about import substitution, which I had not thought about, and the context...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

In relation to your point about your agencies, do I gather from your published documents that you are thinking of making plans for Scottish Development International in the context of what you have discussed this morning? Could you lay those plans out for the committee?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

I agree. Related to that, is it important whether businesses that operate out of Scotland are foreign owned or domestically owned? The two obvious examples in food and drink are the whisky industry and the salmon farming industry, which are predominantly foreign owned but are ...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Committee

Article 50 (International Trade)

Minister, are you prepared to concede that although we talk up trade deals, they have their limitations? Bombardier has just announced the closure of its operation in Northern Ireland regardless of the Canada-EU trade deal. Do you accept that although they are important for bu...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Chamber

First Minister’s Question Time · Private Nurseries

The Central private nursery in Shetland will close in a month’s time. The nursery failed to recruit staff because public sector nurseries are paying more and recruiting to fulfil the expansion of childcare. Twenty families will be directly affected by the loss of the nursery, ...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

Thank you. I am trying not to put words in your mouth, but I think that the panel has argued in favour of moving forward, not going back. I get that. There must be two or three aspects to that argument that we should see as a committee. What are the two or three aspects—maybe...

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

I am very interested in the take that it is about two, two, two versus what we now have. That is not necessarily the issue. You think that there are other pressures that are causing teacher shortages in your disciplines.

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

Is that the most significant issue?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

Why are we failing in spite of the very sensible collegiate cross-party support for STEM subjects and getting more women into science and so on? Do we not have enough teachers? What is your diagnosis of what is the main problem?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

Do you think that fewer girls and boys who want to take a science discipline are able to go into the senior phase now than was the case some years back? Has that narrowing of choice made it more difficult to pursue a science career?

Tavish Scott LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

If it is any consolation, Francisco, my son’s nine year-old class can all pronounce the Christian names and surnames of the Barcelona first team immaculately, as they were doing last night—they can also sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, but not in Spanish. I want to ask Tess W...

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD Committee

Subject Choices Inquiry

I was not persuaded.

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Committee

Education and Skills Committee 08 May 2019

08 May 2019 · S5 · Education and Skills Committee

Item of business

Subject Choices Inquiry

Scott, Tavish LD Shetland Islands Watch on SPTV

I was not persuaded.

In the same item of business

The Convener (Clare Adamson) SNP

Good morning, and welcome to the 15th meeting of the Education and Skills Committee in 2019. We have received apologies from Ross Greer and Oliver Mundell; A...

Catriona MacPhee (Comann Luchd-Teagaisg Àrd Sgoiltean)

Madainn mhath. Is mise Catriona Nic a’ Phì agus tha mi an seo gus riochdachadh tidsearan Gàidhlig ann an sgoiltean bho air feadh na dùthcha: eadar na h-eilea...

Francisco Valdera-Gil (Scottish Council of Deans of Education)

Buenos días. No voy a hablar en español. Do not worry, I am not going to speak in Spanish. I was a teacher of Spanish and French at Dalkeith high school, no...

Marjorie Kerr (Scottish Association of Geography Teachers)

I am the president of the SAGT, which is an entirely voluntary charitable organisation with a membership of about 600 geography teachers throughout Scotland....

Tess Watson (Association for Science Education)

The ASE is a large body in England with a smaller membership in Scotland. I have been in post for only just over a year, so I am still finding my feet. I am ...

Larry Flanagan (Educational Institute of Scotland)

Good morning, colleagues. I am the general secretary of the EIS. I was a classroom teacher for 33 years. Having been a principal teacher of English, I will b...

The Convener SNP

Thank you. I invite members to ask questions.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I have found everything that has been said already very interesting, but one area in which I am interested is the dilemma highlighted by Larry Flanagan about...

Larry Flanagan

As far as the senior phase is concerned, significant subject choice is supposed to happen in S3. However, that is not the reality. The majority of schools st...

Johann Lamont Lab

I am still wrestling with this question of equity. Something changed in schools when they had to start taking youngsters who were doing foundation and genera...

Larry Flanagan

That is an issue. N4 is interesting, because it is kind of on the cusp of the expected norm. The minimal requirement is for people to be at level 3 by the en...

Johann Lamont Lab

What do we do about groups such as looked-after children? Most young people will stay on to sixth year, but how do we address those young people in the syste...

Larry Flanagan

There is a wide range of ability among looked-after and accommodated children, with kids who are perfectly capable of getting their highers, whether or not t...

Johann Lamont Lab

But 75 per cent of them are leaving in fourth year.

Larry Flanagan

Yes, and quite often they do so not necessarily because of dissatisfaction with school, but because of personal circumstance. Schools have a responsibility t...

Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) SNP

I have a brief question on that subject. We know that some pupils in less-advantaged areas are being offered only five subjects at higher. What is your view ...

Larry Flanagan

Very few schools will offer more than five subject choices at higher, because higher in the previous system and, for most schools, in this system is a one-ye...

Rona Mackay SNP

Sorry—I understand why you are saying that. I did not frame the question properly. That is the senior phase limitation of their choices; it is not necessaril...

Larry Flanagan

No, and that is ridiculously narrow. Offering only six subjects in S4 is narrow as well. The issue is how schools can overcome that. They can overcome it by ...

Francisco Valdera-Gil

I want to respond to Johann Lamont’s question about looked-after and accommodated children being disadvantaged in school. I, too, have many hats and, for a y...

Johann Lamont Lab

We will explore this question in more depth later, but do you think that that is a particular issue for modern languages?

Francisco Valdera-Gil

It has been a particular issue for modern languages since modern languages stopped being compulsory in fourth year. In the school at which I taught, we had s...

Johann Lamont Lab

Is that increasingly the norm? Is the issue not just about managing the shortage of teachers but about freeing up space in the curriculum? Has it now become ...

Francisco Valdera-Gil

I think that it has come to that since languages stopped being compulsory. Also, if someone is taking only five, six or seven subjects, the one that is most ...

Marjorie Kerr

We have talked a little bit about how the N4 course is not certificated. We feel that one of the issues is the fact that parents are not yet being educated e...

Johann Lamont Lab

To give them confidence, would the solution be to externalise the N4 exam?

Marjorie Kerr

Yes, definitely. I think that something has to be done about it to make it a more realistic qualification. The whole thing about the BGE and senior phase is ...

Tess Watson

I want to go back to the point Johann Lamont raised about looked-after and accommodated children. My gut feeling is that, as those youngsters are in school f...

Johann Lamont Lab

I understand that. Of course, we want all young people to achieve their full potential. Nevertheless, the statistics show that 75 per cent of young people wh...

Tess Watson

I do not know how to answer that question, because I do not have an answer to that.