Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani) SNP

The next item of business is a statement by John Swinney. The cabinet secretary, who is joining us remotely, will take questions at the end of his statement,...

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney) SNP

I welcome the opportunity to update Parliament on the phased reopening of schools and early learning and childcare settings in Scotland, as set out in “Coron...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues that were raised in his statement. I intend to allow approximately 30 minutes for questions.

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement and add my thanks to the teachers, parents and young people who find themselves in the most ...

John Swinney SNP

Mr Greene has posed a range of questions and I will give some answers across them all. My view is that the 11 August date for the start of term is set in s...

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I echo the cabinet secretary’s recognition of the efforts of parents and carers, teachers and young people themselves during the period of school closure. No...

John Swinney SNP

Earlier today, I published the latest scientific advice that we have; I hope that Mr Gray and parliamentary colleagues find that to be of assistance. I am co...

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

We move on to open questions. I have a lot of requests and we will also have quite a lot of remote contributions. Members should bear that in mind and try no...

Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) SNP

I thank the cabinet secretary for his statement. I note his comments about the investment in digital and about vulnerable children. The barriers facing vuln...

John Swinney SNP

One of the key priorities of the locally delivered approach that we have taken in the national framework that I have set out to Parliament today is to ensure...

Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

The Scottish Government has announced that it is having to spend £9 million so that 25,000 laptops can be provided to disadvantaged children to support home ...

John Swinney SNP

That is the subject of active discussion with local authorities. The 25,000 laptops have been ordered and we await their delivery so that we can make them av...

Neil Bibby (West Scotland) (Lab) Lab

Many parents made sacrifices to be able to afford to send their children on school trips this term. Many low-income families will have put themselves into de...

John Swinney SNP

I recognise the seriousness of the issue that Mr Bibby raises. I give an undertaking today that we will pursue that issue with our local authority colleagues...

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP) SNP

I welcome the cabinet secretary’s statement. Given the difficulties for parents who are working if their children are at home, will this mean that the childr...

John Swinney SNP

On Mr Gibson’s first point, there has to be equity of access to education for young people. That is one of the fundamental principles of Scottish education; ...

Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) Green

This coming term, from August, young people are set to spend less time in school than at any point in modern history, which the Deputy First Minister acknowl...

John Swinney SNP

There is a general view within Scottish education of the importance of our having reliable and certificated qualifications for all as part of the way in whic...

Jeremy Balfour (Lothian) (Con) Con

I return to a point that Mr Gibson made with regard to teachers who have children who are at school. Will teachers whose children are still at school go to s...

John Swinney SNP

Local discretion and planning is the most appropriate level at which those judgments should be made. A multiplicity of issues will affect the availability o...

Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) SNP

I welcomed the offer from the Scottish Government to support blended learning by providing laptops and broadband for young people who require them, because t...

John Swinney SNP

That is one of the issues that we are considering in relation to the other resources that are available to us, which I talked about earlier. We will actively...

Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD

Scotland’s teachers work long hours at the best of times. How will the balance of blended learning work, given the demands of teaching children in the classr...

John Swinney SNP

The judgment on the need for local teachers to supplement the existing workforce will be arrived at at local authority level. I have indicated a number of ti...

Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lab

In Edinburgh Southern, there are four schools with school rolls that are above capacity, and a further four that have rolls of more than 95 per cent. Even wi...

John Swinney SNP

We have committed to discuss those issues with local authorities. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance is sighted on the discussions that it has been agreed wil...

Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) SNP

I refer to the local phasing delivery plan. In my rural constituency, there is a key role for local bus companies in transporting pupils to school. Given tha...

John Swinney SNP

In one of the answers that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity gave earlier this afternoon, he indicated that he and I are i...

Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con) Con

I remind members that my eldest daughter is a secondary school teacher. The cabinet secretary will be aware that many teachers have raised the issue of losi...

John Swinney SNP

One of the steps that I have taken during the crisis is to discuss with local authorities the need to maintain contact with some of the most vulnerable young...