Meeting of the Parliament 25 June 2025
Thank you, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to address the chamber this evening on the Education (Scotland) Bill, following our lengthy and detailed sessions yesterday and today.
Before I turn to the content of the bill, I thank members for the constructive way in which they have engaged with me as we have sought to improve the bill. That includes around 16 hours of detailed and thoughtful deliberation on amendments with the Education, Children and Young People Committee at stage 2, the many discussions that I have held with members ahead of stage 3, and the open dialogue that I have had with members as we have sought to find common ground. Members have been clear in their desire for change and about the need to rebuild confidence and trust in our public bodies. That has been a key theme of the amendments that we have discussed today and yesterday.
I also thank the wide range of stakeholders from across our education system who have engaged with the committee and with me throughout the bill process. They have been instrumental in informing our deliberations.
Given that the bill provides the scaffolding that supports the wider range of education reforms, it has been vitally important to get its provisions right, and I think that we have arrived at that point today. Through the creation of a new qualifications body and an independent inspectorate, the bill enables a more responsive, trusted and effective national education infrastructure.