Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 06 February 2024
06 Feb 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Dunoon Grammar School
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 powers in that area. When that issue comes to me, I will look at the recommendation from school inspections.
Much of what we have heard today reflects some of the very best of the curriculum for excellence and the developing the young workforce strategy. It is more than a decade since we launched that youth employment strategy. I am always struck by how the debates on school reform sit in a rather siloed area. Mr Dey, of course, leads on wider skills reform work. I think that those two agendas could be better joined up, and I look forward to working with the Opposition on that. That work is already being done in what we have heard today about some of the real strengths in Scottish education.
Curriculum for excellence offers a broad framework, which gives teachers the empowerment and freedom to provide learning and teaching experiences that best suit the needs of their individual young people. It is a far less prescriptive system than the one that existed prior to its introduction.
In the same item of business
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...