- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on whether teacher numbers should be maintained, in light of the reported concerns of many parents, pupils and school staff in Glasgow.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment, whether it still plans to recruit 3,500 teachers and 500 classroom assistants, over and above the 1,400 teachers recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the current parliamentary session.
Answer
We remain committed to sustained investment to strengthen provision of education in Scotland and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers.
The commitment to increase the number of classroom assistants has already been exceeded, with 725 additional staff recruited in 2022-23 alone. In addition, since 2019 the number of teachers in Scottish schools has increased by 1,786 from 52,247 to 54,033.
We will continue to work with local authorities to deliver our shared education commitments, with the approach we are able to take being dependent on the resources we have available and ensuring we deliver value for money, during an era where budgets continue to be under pressure as a result of UK Government austerity measures.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering reviewing the funding model for Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) in order to provide greater certainty.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains committed to Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), with funding of £12.9 million invested in 2024-25 to fund Regional Groups and School Coordinators. We will continue to work with the network to explore options for the future in ways that can better support service delivery and improve outcomes for young people.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly withdrawn all funding for the National Parent Forum of Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2024
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when the Strategic Board for Teacher Education last met, and what was discussed.
Answer
The Strategic Board for Teacher Education last met on 21 March, to discuss progress against the three workstreams contained in the Board’s workplan.
These are:-
- Workstream 1 – Workforce Planning and Increasing Diversity of the Profession
- Workstream 2 – Improving the Promotion of Teaching as a Valued Career
- Workstream 3 – Continuum of Teacher Education
The agenda, minutes and papers from this meeting and future meetings will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for 15 May.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what powers it has to amend the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to reduce or amend the distances from home to school before free school transport is provided.
Answer
Section 42(4) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 states the statutory walking distances are two miles for children aged under eight, and three miles for children aged eight or over. Any changes to these distances would need to be via primary legislation and subject to the will of the Scottish Parliament.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it discussed in its meetings with Glasgow City Council on (a) 19 and (b) 27 February 2024 regarding teacher numbers, and whether a minute of each meeting exists.
Answer
The Scottish Government did not meet with Glasgow City Council on the 19 or 27 of February.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26786 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024, what its position is on Glasgow City Council's reported plan to substantially reduce the number of teacher posts.
Answer
The Scottish Government has a longstanding commitment to protecting teacher numbers, and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget for that purpose. This funding will allow councils to protect teacher numbers in order to support children’s education.
We have informed councils that we will issue this funding in the form of grants and councils will be required to commit to maintaining teacher numbers as part of those grant conditions.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered providing the Good Governance Steering Group, whose mandate is currently advisory, with decision-making powers.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27115 on 8 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 8 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Good Governance Steering Group reportedly has no decision-making powers.
Answer
At its inception, the Good Governance Steering Group agreed to be an advisory body with no executive powers.
The Scottish Government is represented on the group and the group regularly reviews its remit.
To date, no approach has been made to the Scottish Government to change the decision making function of the group.