Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 12 December 2023
12 Dec 2023 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Literacy and Numeracy
I thank the cabinet secretary for the advance copy of her statement. I welcome the recognition of the gravity of the situation in schools and the need to disrupt the trend that PISA has highlighted. We must do all that we can in that respect for the future of Scotland’s young people.
However, we really need more detail on some of the announcements in the statement if we are to understand how they will effect the change that is needed, including on the curriculum improvement cycle and the approach to maths. As was mentioned in the previous question, there is a real lack of detail on children with additional support needs, despite their numbers increasing and fewer of them reaching the expected levels of literacy and numeracy than other pupils. The solutions that the document accompanying the statement points to are almost three years old, and the statement itself mentioned nothing specific in relation to them. Does the cabinet secretary believe that the actions that she has set out today are proportionate in meeting the scale of the challenges before us, including for children with additional support needs?
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
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The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth)
SNP
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The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
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Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
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SNP
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SNP
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Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
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Jenny Gilruth
SNP
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Con
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SNP
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LD
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SNP
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SNP
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SNP
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