Chamber
Plenary, 15 Feb 2007
15 Feb 2007 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Education
I accept that there is a series of issues to consider. The whole purpose of having inspection and local authority monitoring systems is constantly to improve and round up the quality of Scottish education.
We have invested heavily in our educational success and will continue to do so to ensure continuous improvement and the raising of standards in the future. Every child should benefit from that.
The inspection system, which is the subject of today's debate, is a world leader and highly regarded on the international stage. HMIE contributes regularly to thinking about quality improvement in countries across the world, most recently in the Czech Republic and Chile. The document "How good is our school?" has proved to be a particularly powerful motivator and has been translated into a number of foreign languages, and HMIE quality indicators are in use in many countries across Europe, Africa and South America.
Although Brian Monteith touched on the following, he did not develop the point. In 2002, we committed to ensuring that the inspection results will be published for every primary school by 2009 and for every secondary school by 2008. That is a huge undertaking, but we are on track to achieve it—in fact, HMIE is ahead of its targets. By the end of March this year, 1,626 primary and 350 secondary schools will have been inspected.
No matter how rigorous the inspection process—it is certainly rigorous, as Brian Monteith said—a one-off visit to a school is not enough on its own to ensure that children and young people receive the standard of education that they should expect.
HMIE has rigorous follow-through processes, but it is primarily local authorities that are accountable and responsible for the provision and quality of education in schools. Every education authority was inspected between 2000 and 2005 and a further round of inspection is now under way.
Self-assessment, quality assurance, local authority quality improvement officers, monitoring of complaints and, ultimately, inspection by HMIE are among the tools in our armoury. If HMIE becomes aware of serious complaints about educational provision, it can and does bring forward the planned date of inspection. Our system for ensuring the accountability of our schools is robust and successful. Scottish education is the healthier for that.
We have invested heavily in our educational success and will continue to do so to ensure continuous improvement and the raising of standards in the future. Every child should benefit from that.
The inspection system, which is the subject of today's debate, is a world leader and highly regarded on the international stage. HMIE contributes regularly to thinking about quality improvement in countries across the world, most recently in the Czech Republic and Chile. The document "How good is our school?" has proved to be a particularly powerful motivator and has been translated into a number of foreign languages, and HMIE quality indicators are in use in many countries across Europe, Africa and South America.
Although Brian Monteith touched on the following, he did not develop the point. In 2002, we committed to ensuring that the inspection results will be published for every primary school by 2009 and for every secondary school by 2008. That is a huge undertaking, but we are on track to achieve it—in fact, HMIE is ahead of its targets. By the end of March this year, 1,626 primary and 350 secondary schools will have been inspected.
No matter how rigorous the inspection process—it is certainly rigorous, as Brian Monteith said—a one-off visit to a school is not enough on its own to ensure that children and young people receive the standard of education that they should expect.
HMIE has rigorous follow-through processes, but it is primarily local authorities that are accountable and responsible for the provision and quality of education in schools. Every education authority was inspected between 2000 and 2005 and a further round of inspection is now under way.
Self-assessment, quality assurance, local authority quality improvement officers, monitoring of complaints and, ultimately, inspection by HMIE are among the tools in our armoury. If HMIE becomes aware of serious complaints about educational provision, it can and does bring forward the planned date of inspection. Our system for ensuring the accountability of our schools is robust and successful. Scottish education is the healthier for that.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
NPA
Before the debate on school education starts, I must inform members that I am the only Presiding Officer available today and that I require a 10-minute break...
Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Ind):
Ind
Presiding Officer, will you clarify how long I have for my opening speech?
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
A little over four minutes.
Mr Monteith:
Ind
I am rather hopeful that this debate on schools will be better tempered than the previous debate, but one never knows. I was surprised to see that an amendme...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
Wind up, please.
Mr Monteith:
Ind
I am just about to wind up, Presiding Officer.I propose that the inspectorate should come before the Education Committee annually to explain its annual repor...
The Deputy Minister for Education and Young People (Robert Brown):
LD
I welcome the terms of Brian Monteith's motion and the opportunity to pay tribute to the work of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education. It might be worth s...
Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind):
Ind
Can the minister explain why the chief inspector of schools says that standards of literacy and numeracy have risen while, at the same time, universities com...
Robert Brown:
LD
I accept that there is a series of issues to consider. The whole purpose of having inspection and local authority monitoring systems is constantly to improve...
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
I, too, support the motion and welcome its terms. We place on record our recognition of HMIE's valuable work in Scotland's education system. I am pleased, ho...
Mr Monteith:
Ind
I know that the member takes a great interest in the affairs of Linlithgow. Can she tell me whether she is satisfied that seven primary schools were not insp...
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
Far be it from me to defend a Labour-Liberal Democrat Executive, but there were 14 years of Conservative Government between 1983 and 1997. I understand that ...
Mr Monteith:
Ind
Will the member give way?
Fiona Hyslop:
SNP
I am sorry, but I will continue if I may. There is a big agenda issue with HMIE's role in the curriculum for excellence. If we are to change the culture of S...
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con):
Con
Fiona Hyslop has made a very good speech and I welcome the fact that the independent members have raised the important work of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of ...
Margo MacDonald:
Ind
If every headmaster had complete freedom to set their own priorities, how could we avoid a situation in which parents decided that they preferred the managem...
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Con
It is obviously important that parents have a say but, ultimately, the head teacher must make the decision. More decisions should be in local control. Parent...
Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
Lab
It is a pleasure to open for the Labour Party. In many respects, today is a remarkable day. It is remarkable for me because this is my first speech as a back...
Mr Monteith:
Ind
I have another example of a situation in which teachers and head teachers welcome inspection reports. When a report identifies that a school building is lett...
Peter Peacock:
Lab
Brian Monteith makes a valid point.I turn to the frequency of inspection, which is a difficult issue that we must examine. It is hard to strike the right bal...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We move to the open debate. I ask that speeches be brief.
Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD):
LD
I, too, welcome the debate. Like Peter Peacock, I was surprised to read a motion in the name of Brian Monteith about consensus. In today's politically correc...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
Green
I well remember the time, in 1964, when I was awaiting with a dry mouth and sweaty palms my very first inspection. It was the inspection at the end of my fir...
Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol):
Sol
I welcome the debate that Brian Monteith has brought to the chamber, although I was a bit surprised to hear that he is disappointed that I lodged an amendme...
The Presiding Officer:
NPA
We move to wind-up speeches. Again, I stress that members should keep to four minutes. I am advised that I have missed out Richard Baker. I am so sorry, Mr B...
Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab):
Lab
How could you, Presiding Officer?As we are short of time, I will cut to the chase. All members have welcomed HMIE's reports on schools, so there is no need f...
Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome Peter Peacock to the bad boys benches at the back of the chamber. Looking at the members who are seated in the back rows confirms my view about tho...
Dave Petrie (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
The debate has been good. As another former teacher, I have experienced HMIE inspections, which I found to be fair, balanced and comprehensive, with any iden...
Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
The debate has been useful. The Scottish National Party thanks Brian Monteith for raising the subject—he is a man who could never be accused of lacking ideas...
Robert Brown:
LD
As a number of members have said, the debate has been useful. We are indebted to Brian Monteith for securing it. I should begin with the shameful declaration...