Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 15 May 2024
15 May 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Teaching
I thank Martin Whitfield for his intervention. I do not think that the issues that he is raising are particularly new or nuanced. That has happened over the course of a number of decades in relation to resourcing in schools, but I recognise some of the challenge. I will come on to talk about the resource that this Government is providing. However, if there are suggestions from members on the Labour benches about how we could do things differently, I am all ears.
The policy that I want to talk about is mentioned in the Labour motion and relates to teacher numbers. The Government has a long-standing policy on and financial commitment to protecting teacher numbers and, as education secretary, I will fervently defend that policy. I am absolutely clear that, with fewer teachers, our schools will not be able to respond to the challenges in our classrooms post-pandemic.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13196, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, on standing up for teaching. I invite members who wish to partic...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I am pleased to bring the debate to the chamber, because, as I have said before, education is a great leveller when it is done well. When teachers are suppor...
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth)
SNP
I welcome this afternoon’s debate during Labour Party business. As the First Minister set out last week, we are in new, although not uncharted, territory as ...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Does the cabinet secretary agree that it is strange that members of the teaching profession are expected to buy so much stuff for their classrooms to ensure ...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I thank Martin Whitfield for his intervention. I do not think that the issues that he is raising are particularly new or nuanced. That has happened over the ...
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention on that point?
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I am happy to do so, although I am conscious of the time.
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
Is the cabinet secretary therefore concerned that the Government is missing many of its targets to recruit teachers in particularly important secondary schoo...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
Yes, I am deeply concerned about that point. All of us in the chamber have a responsibility to ensure that we have more people coming into the teaching profe...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
You need to conclude.
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I am conscious of the time, and there is much more that I would like to say. However, I have an ask of the Opposition today. Minority Government gives Opposi...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
We will vote for the Labour motion because, in a Scotland-wide context in which teacher numbers are down by more than 1,000 since the SNP came to power and t...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
The Greens will be supporting the Labour motion. I was very proud that, three years ago, when we entered Government, we came to an agreement with our SNP col...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
Just imagine what the world would have been like if Ross Greer had been in government for the past three years. Conditions in schools are really challenging...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
You need to conclude.
Willie Rennie
LD
Will those people face the dole queue as a result of that failure to plan adequately? I would like to hear from the cabinet secretary how on earth she will r...
Colin Smyth (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Last year, I joined members of the Educational Institute of Scotland and Unison on picket lines in their campaign for fair pay. Not a single person wanted to...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I was in the classroom.
Colin Smyth
Lab
The cabinet secretary was not personally in the Government, but I am sure that she voted for the Government. The Government needs to start listening and del...
Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)
SNP
I thank my committee colleague Pam Duncan-Glancy for bringing forward today’s debate. Her genuine commitment to our education system has always been clear. A...
Liam Kerr
Con
I am listening to all the things that the member is trotting out. However, the Education, Children and Young People Committee published a report this morning...
Bill Kidd
SNP
Like the cabinet secretary, I am all ears. Unfortunately, in my case, that is a physical characteristic. Anyway, I am carrying on saying what I am saying. W...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Nicola Sturgeon said: “If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepa...
Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Over the past few months, my inbox has been inundated with emails from constituents who are concerned about the future of education in Glasgow under this Gov...
The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey)
SNP
On a point of fact, the Scottish Government has funded in full the developing the young workforce arrangements for Glasgow on the same basis as the rest of t...
Paul Sweeney
Lab
I am afraid that that is not the position that the GMB trade union has taken. I went to a meeting with young representatives of educational establishments in...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
The final speaker in the open debate will be Ben Macpherson. 15:43
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
Colleagues will appreciate that, as I am an Edinburgh MSP, I will not comment specifically on the situation in Glasgow. I have heard the concerns that colle...
Sue Webber
Con
Will the member take an intervention?
Ben Macpherson
SNP
I will take a brief one.