- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consented to Transport Scotland issuing a notice for the procurement of new rolling stock for ScotRail, and, if it is not the case, when it expects to do so.
Answer
Transport Scotland is not the procuring authority for new rolling stock for Scotrail therefore it would not be the party issuing procurement notices for rolling stock procurement.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don on 7 August 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27078 Natalie Don on 9 May 2024, in which it indicated its expectation that data on the scale, uptake and delivery models of breakfast provision across Scotland, both at local authority and schools' level, would be submitted to the Scottish Government in June 2024, whether it has received this data, and, if this is not the case, what the reasons are for the delay in the data being provided, and when the Scottish Government will report on the next stages.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been working with AssistFM and Improvement Service to map existing breakfast provision across Scotland, including a survey to all primary and special schools to understand the scale and uptake of provision.
A report with the findings from the mapping exercise was submitted to the Scottish Government in June 2024. The findings are being used to inform the government’s approach and we will report any decisions made about next steps once the data has been fully considered.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many computing science teachers it expects will be recruited in 2024.
Answer
The recruitment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. Details on the number of teachers employed in Scotland’s schools will be available in the annual teacher census which is due to be published in December.
The university intake targets for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for the academic year 2024-25 are set by the Scottish Funding Council. The ITE target for Computing Science for 2024-25 is 52.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to reducing teachers' class-contact time to 21 hours per week, and, if so, when it expects to meet this target.
Answer
We remain committed to reducing class contact time, and we continue to explore with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), how best to deliver this commitment.
Any changes to terms and conditions for teachers require tripartite agreement through the SNCT.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it had (a) completed all the work required to produce and (b) finalised a draft response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, prior to the commencement of the purdah period for the 2024 General Election.
Answer
The Scottish Government was at the final stage of completing the work required to publish a response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment when the need to consider whether or not it could be published during the pre-election period arose.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government in what way any technological and connectivity restrictions have impacted its ability to deliver its planned national digital academy.
Answer
Scottish Government and Education Scotland have been working with stakeholders to determine the potential shape of a National Digital Academy. I am advised that this development work has not been affected by technological or connectivity restrictions.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it had (a) completed all the work required to produce and (b) finalised its guidance on mobile phones in schools, prior to the commencement of the purdah period for the 2024 General Election.
Answer
The revised guidance on use of mobile phones in schools was fully drafted and had been agreed by the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) prior to publication. The document was in the process of completing final due diligence consideration when the need to consider whether or not it could be published during the pre-election period arose. The guidance would otherwise have been published prior to the end of the school year.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment.
Answer
The Scottish Government will publish its response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment as soon as practically possible in the new school year.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills held, between 1 April and 22 May 2024, to discuss its action plan on behaviour in schools, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings.
Answer
Between 1 April and 22 May 2024 I held four meetings to discuss the relationships and behaviour action plan:
? Two meetings with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) on 16 April 2024 and 15 May 2024, the minutes of which are available at: Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
? A meeting with Opposition Party Spokespeople on education on 16 April to discuss their priorities for the development of the action plan, with actions to provide further information and further explore some of the issues discussed.
? A meeting with the Head Teacher Taskforce on 22 May, the minutes of which can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/head-teacher-taskforce-minutes-may-2024/
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 July 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills held, between 1 April and 22 May 2024, to discuss the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings.
Answer
As part of routine government business, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills met with officials between 1 April and 22 May 2024. The Scottish Government response to the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment was discussed and refinements were made to the draft response.