Education, Children and Young People Committee 30 April 2025
Unsurprisingly, on amendment 245, for probably the opposite reason to the one that was given by the cabinet secretary, I think that it is important that the strategic advisory council can operate without the undue influence of the Government.
Amendment 246 seeks to stipulate that one or more members of the council must also be a member of curriculum Scotland. For the reasons that I gave earlier, and given that we are all open to discussing at stage 3 the accreditation function, where that would sit, and the national landscape, I will not move amendment 246. I note that, in Ross Greer’s contribution on amendment 246, he ruled out supporting the creation of such a body, but I hope that that approach will soften between now and stage 3, so that we can have the discussion on the accreditation function and look at all the options on the table, so that stage 3 can give us the solution that we require on accreditation.
On amendment 247, which states that council members are to be appointed for a period of four years, I understand the cabinet secretary’s points on terms of office but, in the past, there has been inertia and we have had circumstances in which decisions have not been fleet of foot or responsive enough to a wide-ranging and fast-changing education system. It is therefore important that, at the very least, appointment is reviewed every four years. The amendment contains the opportunity of reappointment for a further period of four years, and I am keen to test that at stage 2.
On the basis of the contributions that I have heard from Ross Greer and the cabinet secretary, I am prepared not to press amendment 248 at this point and to discuss potentially refining that amendment at stage 3. However, it is crucial that we give some indication of the Parliament’s recommendations and requirements of the strategic advisory council. The organisations and representatives that I have outlined in amendment 248 all have a crucial stake in our education system, and they need to have a voice on the council. However, I take the point about some of the named organisations and about looking at that again at stage 3—I think that the cabinet secretary is willing to look at that.
I am not sure that using the negative procedure would give me confidence that the Parliament had sufficient ability to scrutinise the regulations. I might be inclined to encourage the use of the affirmative procedure for such regulations, but I am prepared to not move amendment 248 and to discuss the matter ahead of stage 3.
I am prepared to not move amendment 249, on the basis of the discussion that we have had. I wanted to test the tolerance figure, but I lodged the amendment before I saw the other amendment that provides that no members of staff of qualifications Scotland can be on the council, which I also support. Therefore, I will not move amendment 249.
On amendments 250 and 251, I did not hear from the cabinet secretary that anything in the bill would require consultation with Education Scotland, but I heard the point about the regulations providing for that. On that basis, I will not move amendments 250 and 251, but I go back to my previous point about Parliament being able to scrutinise the regulations and about who is involved, which is incredibly important.
On amendment 252, I take on board the points that the cabinet secretary and Ross Greer made about how to achieve that networked approach. It is incredibly important that we do that. We have a hierarchical system when it comes to involvement and engagement with the front line. The distance between what happens in schools and policy direction is too broad and the middle is too cluttered, which we must address. Amendment 252 could have done that, but I am prepared to negotiate ahead of stage 3 to agree an amendment for the Parliament’s approval so that we can address the issue in the bill.
Amendment 253 would define “registered teacher”, “college teaching staff” and “relevant qualification”. I do not think that it would be a bad thing to define those terms in the bill, so I am minded to move that amendment. I do not think that it relates to any of the amendments that I have said that I will not press or move.