Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani) SNP

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-22780, in the name of Jamie Greene, on prioritising education over independence. 15:23

Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con) Con

This is arguably one of the most important motions that I have lodged in my time in the Parliament. It is on education. In the middle of a global pandemic, w...

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

I associate myself with Mr Greene’s remarks on the contribution of the teaching profession during the lockdown period, in which, in his words, its members de...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

The Scottish Parliament had the opportunity to pass a new education bill. Why did that not happen?

John Swinney SNP

Because the Government was able to make the reforms without legislating for them. Interruption. Those reforms were about empowering schools—putting powers in...

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Lewis Macdonald) Lab

I will call Daniel Johnson in a moment but first, I say to Conservative members in particular that it is important that we are all able to hear members’ ques...

Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Lab

I understand the Deputy First Minister’s frustrations about how the motion for debate was drawn up by the Conservatives, but we are four minutes into his spe...

John Swinney SNP

That is timely as that is precisely the point that I have got to in my speech. Until the Government has the opportunity to put the Scottish question to the ...

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab) Lab

Does Mr Swinney accept that many of those new teaching posts are part time or temporary because of how he has chosen to fund teacher number increases?

John Swinney SNP

No, I do not, because the overwhelming majority—Interruption. The overwhelming majority of teaching posts are permanent posts, which I would have thought tha...

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

I return to a subject that I have asked the cabinet secretary about many times before—the digital poverty gap and the technology that is required. I am still...

John Swinney SNP

The estimates of the likely number of pupils who did not have access to digital learning were of the order of 70,000. Through the first tranche of the propos...

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab) Lab

I know that the Tory motion is designed to wind up the SNP—it seems to have worked with Mr Swinney—but it points to an inconvenient truth for SNP members, be...

John Swinney SNP

I invite Mr Gray to reflect on what he has just said. Perhaps that will help him to understand why his party is in some political difficulty in Scotland. In ...

Iain Gray Lab

No, I did not. The truth is that those children are being failed by Mr Swinney’s Government and by the Conservative Government. That is why the Government’s...

John Swinney SNP

The Government has put in £135 million of new resources to assist schools in the recovery, including through the provision of new staff. Why can Mr Gray not ...

Iain Gray Lab

The resources that John Swinney refers to are the additional resources that local authorities needed just to get schools reopened safely for everyone. Interr...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

Mr Swinney!

Iain Gray Lab

Nothing will be provided to help the families of children who are living in poverty until February. Despite that, there is all the time in the world for the ...

The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab

I again remind members to desist from making comments from a sedentary position, in order that the debate can be properly heard. 15:54

Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) Green

I have to admit to being somewhat bemused by the Tories’ motion. At the weekend, they were briefing the press that they would bring the issue of the 2021 exa...

Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD) LD

In March, just as the country was starting to comprehend the scale and seriousness of the pandemic, we debated the state of Scottish education. The PISA resu...

Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Con

It is, of course, common knowledge that, in several programmes for government, the SNP has been unequivocal in placing education at the top of its priorities...

John Swinney SNP

I understand Liz Smith’s argument about teacher numbers, but is she going to pass comment at some stage on the financial environment of austerity that we hav...

Liz Smith Con

In the past few days, we have laid out exactly how we hope to address the question of teacher numbers. We have made specific calculations—Interruption. They ...

John Swinney SNP

Liz Smith has made an historical point about the reduction in teacher numbers compared with the number in 2007. I accept those numbers, but I ask Liz Smith t...

Liz Smith Con

It has been the choice of Mr Swinney’s Government to make those decisions. That is why we have seen a reduction in teacher numbers. It is nothing whatever to...

Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) SNP

I am glad to be speaking in the debate led by the Conservative Party, but I note that in lodging the motion and telling the SNP to focus on closing the attai...

Johann Lamont (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

I welcome the opportunity to discuss how we create a fairer society and tackle inequality—inequality that is particularly visible in education. We know th...

Jamie Greene Con

Will Labour members support our calls for a national tutoring and mentoring scheme, using some of those organisations, properly funded, to deliver support to...