Meeting of the Parliament 15 May 2019
Let me begin by setting out the areas on which I agree with Tavish Scott. I agree that education is the central purpose of this Government. It is the purpose on which our policy programme is anchored in this parliamentary session, with our determination to close the poverty-related attainment gap.
I also agree with Tavish Scott on the importance of curriculum for excellence and I welcome constructive discussion about how we enhance curriculum for excellence and ensure that it is the right curricular choice. I recently attended the international summit of the teaching profession, in Finland, with the general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, and we were both struck by the admiration that was expressed internationally for the reforms that we undertook in Scotland—long before I became education secretary—to implement curriculum for excellence as a curriculum that is relevant to and valid for the needs of young people in the 21st century, as it should be.
I welcome the suggestion about an annual debate on education. The Government might well have such a debate, to ensure that there is the opportunity to reflect on broader trends in performance in education and on some of the challenges that we face.
Where I part company with Mr Scott is on some of his questions about funding for education. Across early learning, school education, college and further education provision and university funding, we find rising expenditure under this Government.