Meeting of the Parliament 31 May 2023
The best leaders in any walks of life are those who lead teams of people. That is a fact, so I do not disagree with that.
Secondly, there is a great deal in the report about the value of play-based learning. We should review the starting age for formal schooling and perhaps move it to six. That is the starting age in Germany, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and Norway—it is seven in Finland and South Korea—and we should think about that.
Thirdly, we need to give serious consideration to the presumption of mainstreaming for children with additional support needs. There is clear evidence in the report that what we have currently is not working. At paragraph 5.2.10, the report recounts the “concerning and troubling” experiences of parents in relation to
“their child not receiving timely or necessary supports and sometimes inappropriate use of exclusions and other sanctions”
and says:
“The need for ... appropriate ASN provision is now urgent.”
In large classes, pupils with additional support needs struggle to learn and their classmates struggle with their sometimes distressed behaviour. It is high time that we addressed that.
The people of Scotland care passionately about their education system. Paragraph 9.2, at the end of the report, says:
“the scale of response is unprecedented in the history of national engagements about Scottish education.”
The fact that we care so passionately about our education system makes me proud to be part of this great nation. However, the report concludes:
“One thing is clear ... there is an overwhelming appetite for change”.
The people of Scotland are watching and waiting. We require urgent action from the SNP Government. More words will not cut it. I call on the Government to show teachers, school leaders, parents and pupils that it has listened to the national discussion and will now act on it.
I move amendment S6M-09213.3, to leave out from “, Prof” to end and insert:
“and all those who participated; notes the report’s conclusion that 'there is an overwhelming appetite for change’ and urges the Scottish Government to view this as a call for urgent steps to ensure real reform; further notes the concerns raised in the national discussion over the lack of support and respect given to teachers and pupil support assistants, as well as the issues experienced by teachers, pupils, parents and carers in relation to young people with additional support needs and the need to ensure a better approach to play-based learning and early years; believes that a new deal for teachers would address issues in professional development and teacher recruitment; further believes that debates should be held on the level to which teachers and school leaders should be able to be more autonomous in their decision making, the presumption against specialist schooling for young people with additional support needs and the age at which children start formal schooling, and acknowledges the frustration, cynicism and anger at previous unmet promises of reform and the resultant doubts expressed in the report over whether genuine reform would take place.”
15:21Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.