Hansard

Thank you, Presiding Officer.

On Monday, the Cabinet visited Haddington for a public meeting. As George Adam observed following the meeting, the best and most challenging questions that the Cabinet received came from the school pupils in the audience—whether on global warming or on asylum, they raised the big issues of the day.

I think that that speaks to a difference that we have already seen recorded by PISA as recently as 2018, in its assessment of global competence, in which Scotland was one of the top-performing countries. That important PISA study assessed young people’s ability to examine local, global and intercultural issues, including sustainability, and to interact effectively with people from different cultures.

I am conscious of the time, but I want to touch briefly on some of the progress that we have been able to make since the pandemic. The previously mentioned ACEL data is supplemented by our examination system, in which the overall pass rates at national 5, higher and advanced higher were higher this year than the 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Since the pandemic, the attainment gap has narrowed.

However, of course I accept that not everything is perfect, which is why we must commit to redoubling our efforts to secure better improvements in the Scottish education system to deliver better outcomes for our children and young people. We are already responding to PISA in a robust and comprehensive way. In doing so, we are focusing on maths and curriculum improvement, on which we are taking a range of steps, which I set out in detail in the chamber yesterday. I have also committed to expanding the range of objective data that we have available to us—an issue that Liam Kerr alluded to—by rejoining a number of international surveys.

Part of Scotland’s improvement journey must be about our education reform programme, which I think will help to drive the measures that need to be taken to improve outcomes. As part of that, reform of our national education bodies will deliver change in practice and in culture. Liam Kerr mentioned the role of the inspectorate. The recently appointed interim chief inspector will play a pivotal role in providing the critical leadership that is required to deliver the change that is needed.

I am also ensuring that the voices of teachers and people with a stake in the education system are heard at every opportunity. That is why there has been on-going consultation and engagement on the new qualifications body and how to maximise the positive impact that I think that reform can deliver, and it is why I am committed to designing—along with teachers, professional associations and other stakeholders—a new centre for teaching excellence. I am grateful to the Scottish Council of Deans of Education, which I met earlier today to talk about some of its work to support that venture.

There is a lot to be positive about in Scottish education, although I accept that there is work to be done to secure improvements. For my part, I am focused on those improvements, some of which I set out in the chamber yesterday. I do not shy away from the challenge, and the implicit opportunity must not be missed.

However, in the same spirit, the Opposition cannot shy away from the fact that there are real positives in Scottish education. At primary level, we have record attainment levels and a record low attainment gap in literacy. Exam pass rates are above the pre-pandemic level, and we have the highest investment per pupil and the lowest pupil teacher ratio in the UK.

In the rush to attack the Government, which I accept is part and parcel of the approach to politics, the Opposition is also dismissive of some of the achievements of our pupils, teachers and support staff. Today, I ask members of the Opposition to engage with the substance of the data rather than the politics. If they do so, in me they will have a willing partner. It is in that spirit that I move my amendment, which sets out the facts and accepts that there is a need for improvement. I hope that members across the chamber will be able to support it.

I move amendment S5M-11635.3, to leave out from first “notes” to end and insert:

“welcomes the publication of Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels 2022-23 (ACEL), which shows that the proportion of primary school pupils achieving expected levels of literacy and numeracy has reached record highs, that the poverty-related attainment gap in literacy in primary school has reached the lowest level on record, and that attainment at secondary level has increased and the poverty-related attainment gap decreased; understands that ACEL represents the most up-to-date and comprehensive statistics on attainment in Scotland, and that the findings are testament to the hard work of teachers, support staff and pupils; notes that PISA found that pupils in Scotland were less likely to witness issues with a number of aspects of behaviour in school than in other parts of the UK; welcomes the Scottish Government’s decision to rejoin Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS); notes that Curriculum for Excellence was endorsed by the OECD in its 2021 report as the right approach for Scottish education, and agrees that the process of education reform, working in partnership with local authorities, and including the reorganisation of national bodies and reform of qualifications and assessments, offers the opportunity to raise standards, ensure that all children and young people can meet their full potential, and deliver excellence and equity across Scotland’s schools.”