Hansard

I thank the Liberal Democrats for using their party business time today to bring this debate to the chamber. I will not necessarily love bomb Willie Rennie as much as the cabinet secretary just did, but I welcome the fact that the Parliament has what the cabinet secretary said is the last time this session for it to debate education. I note again that that is only thanks to Opposition parties bringing the debate to the chamber today. I also note that the Government debate on Tuesday 24 March has still not been allocated. I imagine that that is when we will have the Scottish Government debate on improving literacy in schools, which was cancelled, not another debate on independence ahead of the election.

It is little wonder that the Scottish Government has not wanted to devote more of its time to education, because it is now more than a decade since Nicola Sturgeon promised to eliminate the attainment gap and demanded to be judged on the issue. The SNP has failed to meet its own targets or restore Scotland’s once world-leading education reputation.

I do not underestimate the vision that Nicola Sturgeon was trying to drive forward 10 years ago. Any First Minister should bring that to the position that they hold. However, the fact that the Government has not taken forward the work to deliver on those outcomes is what today’s debate is really about. I agree with Willie Rennie that we have to look at the Government and judge it on that 10-year pledge. The Government has now been in office for 19 years.

Another pledge that the First Minister drove forward was on the Promise. The bill that is going through the Parliament does not feel like the vision that was outlined to care-experienced young people. I hope that there is still time for all of us members to turn that piece of legislation around, but it is important that we take stock and look at what has happened.

The number of students who find positive destinations after leaving school remains static. Meanwhile, the least-advantaged students are still let down in comparison with better-off pupils. Their chances of ending up in further education, an apprenticeship or another positive destination are not improving.

As Andrea Bradley, the general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, said:

“If Scotland is to eradicate the poverty-related attainment gap and deliver an education system that truly and equitably meets the diverse needs of all learners, then greater investment in schools and colleges, in resources, and in teaching and support staff, is essential.”

I agree with the cabinet secretary that the Parliament needs to look towards education reform in the next session. I hope that the coming election will give us all that opportunity.

We on the Conservative benches have been leading the calls for better access to training opportunities. Given the vast number of Government reviews that have not been implemented, we know what could have made a difference in this session.

I agree with Willie Rennie’s motion. The Scottish Government has let education down, with rising levels of classroom violence, a lack of additional support for pupils and record numbers of recently qualified teachers leaving the profession. We have trained people to become teachers, but then they cannot find work. That has been a real tragedy during this parliamentary session. Furthermore, over the past five years, there has been no co-ordinated action to empower our teachers and make our schools safe again.

I turn to my amendment. I continue to be concerned at the failure to address violence in our classrooms. Given that Scotland now has the United Kingdom’s highest rate of violent injuries to school staff, it is clear that there has been no meaningful action to end such violence in our classrooms.

This is, potentially, the last education debate this session, but I hope that, when the Parliament reconvenes, all those who are lucky enough to be re-elected will come back with education reform at their heart. There has to be a better way to deliver the outcomes that we all want but that have not happened over the past decade.

I move amendment S6M-20956.2, to leave out from “further believes” to end and insert:

“recognises that Scotland has the highest rate of violent injuries to school staff in the UK and that the Scottish Government has failed to take meaningful action to protect pupils and teachers; notes with concern the high levels of work-related stress reported across the profession; further notes the record number of newly qualified teachers leaving the profession, and believes that, by any reasonable measure, the Scottish Government has failed Scotland’s children and that this failure should be a source of shame.”

15:09