Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 09 December 2020
Mr Mundell will forgive me—I have to draw my remarks to a close.
Decisions about school staffing rest with local authorities, and I continue to discuss their on-going needs and aspirations around staff numbers in relation to providing education during the Covid crisis.
The Government has demonstrated over a number of years—including very recently, without prompting—additional support for the provision of free school meals, with the allocation of an additional £37 million to local authorities to continue the provision of free school meals during the period of schools being closed and in the summer, winter and Easter holidays. That is a fundamental commitment, and we have boosted that by indicating that, if the Government is re-elected, we will expand the universal provision of free school meals and breakfast clubs to all primary school children by August 2022. That commitment would extend to all school holidays. That is what decisive leadership to meet the needs of children and young people is about, and I am proud of the Government’s record in demonstrating that commitment.
I move amendment S5M-23629.3, to leave out from “outcome” to end and insert:
“announcements that National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be replaced by alternative certification models, and acknowledges that measures to address teacher workload, including additional financial support, will be put in place for those teachers and lecturers helping enable the certification to take place.”
15:34Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.