Meeting of the Parliament 08 January 2026 [Draft]
It is important that members from across the chamber do not seek to demonise the next generation of children and young people, who are the generation that lived through the Covid pandemic. When we talk about vandalism, we must not presume that it has all been caused by children and young people. In many instances, that will not have been the case.
In broader terms, there is much to celebrate in Scotland’s schools. Last month, official statistics showed the highest attainment levels on record in literacy and numeracy in our primary and secondary schools. There are more teachers, smaller class sizes, better pupil teacher ratios, more children attending school more regularly and a narrowing of the attainment gap in both primary and secondary schools.
With all that good news, I am sure that the Opposition has come back in this new year with a positive mindset, and is ready to celebrate and support Scotland’s educators, children and young people.