Meeting of the Parliament 19 November 2025
I do not accept the point that the member makes. She has asked me several written questions on it; some of them pertain to private finance initiative schools, which were a feature of Labour’s time in office and which mean that this Government is having to repay millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money for those school buildings. I have less in my education budget because of actions that were taken by Ms Duncan-Glancy’s colleagues in a previous Parliament.
However, there is a lot to be positive about in Scottish education, so let us look at some of the positives. Last week, I was pleased to secure agreement from the teaching unions to a 7.5 per cent pay increase over two years. That pay deal means that Scotland’s teachers remain the best-paid teachers on these islands and ensures that our teachers get that pay increase in time for Christmas, which I know is welcome news. The agreement means that our classroom teachers will now earn up to £54,000, and those on the rung below depute heads will earn up to £74,205 from April—roughly £300 less than an MSP’s salary.
Securing that two-year pay deal has been important in providing the impetus for securing progress on reducing class contact. As we have heard today, greater standardisation in education will also provide for more consistency for pupils. In relation to workload, we know that there is a need to standardise what is being asked of our teachers. Data should be about driving improvement and supporting quality learning and teaching. It is not fair that, for example, reporting requirements differ by local authority; expectations of our staff should be consistent. The Government will begin discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the standardisation of data collection to support the reduction of teacher workload.
That work is being supplemented by two CivTech challenges. One of those was launched back in summer 2024 and is building a tool that seeks to use artificial intelligence to streamline admin and planning in relation to ASN. This summer, we announced a further challenge, which is about identifying opportunities to use AI to support a reduction in teacher workload.
Teacher workload cannot be reduced without a role for pupil support assistants. I confirm my support for a national model of accreditation for pupil support assistants. I will be taking that forward with COSLA as a matter of priority.
Today’s motion also makes no mention of poverty. We should be mindful that, last month, the NASUWT’s survey of teachers told us their views on austerity: teachers said that the two-child cap means that kids from larger families are not able to be supported. I hope that Labour members will be impressing those points on their colleagues in London to ensure that the two-child cap is lifted across the United Kingdom, to lift those children and young people out of poverty so that they can attain their educational potential.
This year’s education and skills budget provides a record £4.3 billion for Scottish education. It is imperative that that funding, which is protected at a national level, gets to Scots in the classrooms where it is needed. That is why I have appointed former headteacher John Wilson to provide the Government with an independent report on reforming school governance and funding. It is essential that that funding makes its way into our classrooms where it is needed most.
I look forward to the remainder of the debate and to listening again to the positives of Scotland’s education system.
I move amendment S6M-19754.2, to leave out from “that pupils” to end and insert:
“the challenges in Scotland’s schools post-COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with attendance and an increase in additional support needs (ASN); welcomes the additional funding agreed to in the Budget for 2025-26 to support outcomes for children with ASN, and to support and enhance the ASN workforce; acknowledges the key role that staff and teachers play to support children to succeed; welcomes the agreement last week, which ensures that Scotland’s teachers remain the highest paid in the UK, with an uplift of 7.5% over two years; remains committed to undertaking further work to reduce teacher workload, which sits alongside the commitment to reduce class contact time, and agrees to recognise and celebrate the successes of Scotland’s young people.”
16:22Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
- S6M-19754.2 Education Motion