Hansard

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing) SNP

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-10234, in the name of Donald Cameron, on celebrating the work of Dunoon grammar school...

Donald Cameron (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Con

I am delighted to bring this debate to the chamber to highlight to the Scottish Parliament the fantastic work of Dunoon grammar school. I thank Gillian Hunt,...

The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health (Jenni Minto) SNP

I absolutely recognise the glowing way that Donald Cameron is speaking about Dunoon grammar school—many of my visits have had the same positivity. Does he ag...

Donald Cameron Con

I am grateful to Jenni Minto for mentioning those teachers. It is important that we get on record the names of not just the headteacher but other leaders in ...

Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab) Lab

Does the member agree that focusing on the Scottish credit and qualifications framework and on offering alternative courses for young people—as he has just d...

Donald Cameron Con

I agree that having a breadth of subjects available is intrinsically important to young people. The member will know about the challenges that we all face wi...

Stephen Kerr (Central Scotland) (Con) Con

On the member’s point about the transformative power of the school, would he agree that the pivotal thing that makes it all possible is leadership? That is w...

Donald Cameron Con

I am firmly of that view, and Stephen Kerr sets out eloquently what I personally believe. I am not saying that Dunoon grammar is unique. Plenty of other Sco...

Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Con

Will the member take an intervention?

Donald Cameron Con

I think that I can—

The Deputy Presiding Officer SNP

I can give Mr Cameron a wee bit of extra time, because he has been generous with taking interventions.

Finlay Carson Con

I thank the member for giving way, and I apologise for missing the start of the debate. I want to put on record that the headteacher, David Mitchell, cut hi...

Donald Cameron Con

I did not know that, so I thank Finlay Carson for that information. Given that much of the decision making around education is the responsibility of local a...

Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP) SNP

I, too, take the opportunity to congratulate Dunoon grammar school. I congratulate Donald Cameron on bringing the debate to the chamber, and I am happy to su...

Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

I thank Donald Cameron for bringing the debate to the chamber and so giving me the opportunity to make a brief speech. Last May, Chris Deerin, the director ...

Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP) SNP

I warmly endorse Mr Kerr’s sentiment that we should be more positive about the achievements in schools throughout the whole country. I claim no moral superio...

Liam Kerr Con

That is a very interesting point, and I am grateful for the intervention. As I suggested earlier, there are significant challenges facing the Scottish educat...

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Lab

I add my congratulations to Donald Cameron on securing the debate. I also congratulate Dunoon grammar school, its headteacher, staff and pupils on their huge...

Fergus Ewing SNP

Concerning Rhoda Grant’s remarks about population and depopulation in the Highlands, and education, and the excellent series of articles by The Herald about ...

Rhoda Grant Lab

I absolutely agree. We do not want to halt depopulation by keeping our young people in their communities if that is somehow a lesser opportunity for them. We...

Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Green

I thank my colleague in representing the Highlands and Islands region, Donald Cameron, for lodging the motion and providing us with an opportunity to discuss...

Fergus Ewing SNP

Ariane Burgess talks about the importance of jobs in the Highlands. A great many such jobs consist of people working in the oil and gas industry, who live th...

Ariane Burgess Green

I appreciate the member’s intervention. What I value and cherish is that we have a future for future generations in Scotland, and on this planet, and I want ...

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth) SNP

I thank Donald Cameron for lodging the motion, and I thank colleagues across the chamber for a positive debate. As Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skill...

Finlay Carson Con

Does the cabinet secretary agree that good educational facilities, such as Dunoon grammar school, underpin the long-term sustainability of areas, particularl...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

Finlay Carson has raised a specific local issue. The mothballing of any school is a matter for the local authority but, as cabinet secretary, I retain some p...

Liam Kerr Con

I am enjoying listening to the cabinet secretary’s comments, but I want to make sure that she will address a particular issue. Rhoda Grant made an interestin...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

That is a substantive question and I would like to give Liam Kerr a more substantive answer. As he might be aware, I commissioned work on that very point fro...

Fergus Ewing SNP

I should not eschew this opportunity to ask what progress the cabinet secretary is making in promoting the uptake of the indispensable skill of touch typing ...

Jenny Gilruth SNP

I am always impressed by Mr Ewing’s ability to get touch typing into the Official Report. Pupils in the public gallery will understand that Mr Ewing has a ke...