Meeting of the Parliament 25 June 2025
I do not accept the member’s latter point about leadership. A new chief executive will be appointed, and a new chair of the existing organisation was appointed in late 2023.
I want to come on to talk about, in general terms, the refocusing of Education Scotland, which also has a role to play. I know that Ms Duncan-Glancy was interested in that issue in relation to her amendments that would have set up curriculum Scotland, which I was sympathetic towards. That is why the response to a Government-initiated question that I published on Monday sets out the focus for the next steps on the qualifications journey. The response to the GIQ in relation to Education Scotland that I published in June last year set out a refocused purpose for that organisation, too.
In addition, we have created the centre for teaching excellence at the University of Glasgow, and the totality of our structural reforms will provide a revised and refreshed system that supports continuous improvement and helps to meet learners’ needs. Although the bill is rightly focused on reforming public bodies, we cannot lose sight of the people those bodies serve: the children and young people with whom the future success and prosperity of this country rests, and the teachers who work in our schools every day to provide excellent learning experiences.
Scotland’s teachers are fundamental to reform. Only with their support will we be able to effect broader change to improve our curriculum and our qualifications and to raise teaching standards. Ultimately, through the bill and the cultural changes that I mentioned in response to Mr Kerr, we can create a system in which our public bodies collaborate with one another, and with children and young people and their parents, carers and teachers, to drive improvement.
That is why the bill provides for a range of different voices to be heard on the board of qualifications Scotland. As a result of Mr Greer and Ms Duncan-Glancy’s amendments, the bill includes enhanced provisions that will ensure that the perspectives of young people, teachers and business have suitable representation in board discussions.
That is why the bill now sets out a list of groups that must be invited to participate in the production of the learner charter and the teacher and practitioner charter, which will provide greater transparency and accountability and the opportunity for greater involvement in decisions that affect education.
That is why, thanks to Mr Kerr’s amendment, the legislation provides a cast-iron guarantee that the chief inspector will have suitable teaching and educational leadership experience. It is also why, as a result of amendments lodged by Mr Greer and contributions from Mr Briggs, greater reassurance is provided in the bill that membership of the chief inspector’s advisory council will be representative of the needs of those who receive education.
It is fair to say that the committee and I have probably spent more time considering and debating the location and scope of the accreditation function than any other matter. I put on record my thanks to all the staff in the SQA who, as a result of our deliberations, have had to contend with a significant degree of uncertainty and anxiety over a period of time. Members put forward a range of different options at stage 2 that would have removed the accreditation function from the qualifications body. However, none of the alternatives provided a compelling case for change. Therefore, I believe that the compromise position that we have managed to reach through the amendments of Mr Rennie and Mr Greer represents a significant step forward.