Meeting of the Parliament 04 March 2026 [Draft]
I very much recognise that point, and I know that Mr Cole-Hamilton recently raised it at First Minister’s question time. To give him some assurance, I note that we have convened a national working group on the issue, involving the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the teaching trade unions and our initial teacher education institutions, to identify and target the issues that pertain to permanence. It was important that last year’s budget made extra funding available to councils to ensure that they could create more permanent posts, which is why I am pleased that, for the first time since 2022, we have seen an increase in teacher numbers.
I am mindful of time, Presiding Officer.
This afternoon’s debate is about our children. I saw the importance of the issues that we are discussing when I visited Kinross high school last week. I know that colleagues across the chamber will regularly experience what I experienced on Friday, but I think that we all carry a responsibility in this place to be solution oriented.
Therefore, I will close by encouraging more positive behaviour this afternoon. Yes, the Government should be challenged, but we should hear ideas for improvement and radical solutions to unlock potential for the benefit of Scotland’s children and young people.
I move amendment S6M-20956.3, to leave out from first “notes” to end and insert:
“welcomes the passing of the 2026-27 Budget, following a deal reached with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, which will deliver over £4.8 billion investment for Scottish education, including up to £200 million to close the poverty-related attainment gap, building on December 2025’s Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data, which demonstrated record levels of literacy and numeracy in Scotland’s primary schools and data from February 2026, which recorded the joint second highest level of school leavers going on to positive destinations on record; recognises that the Budget will further expand the provision of free breakfast clubs and free school meals to reduce the poverty-related attainment gap, building on the 2025-26 Budget deal reached with the Scottish Green Party to expand free school meals in secondary schools; welcomes the continuation of extra funding for pupils with additional support needs (ASN) within the 2026-27 Budget, and looks forward to the publication of the cross-party commissioned-ASN review early in March 2026, and believes fundamentally that Scotland’s teachers, pupil support staff, parents, carers and pupils deserve the gratitude of the Parliament for their hard work and dedication every day."
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