Parliamentary questions
Ken Macintosh
1,334 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the information that it holds on Modern Languages in the Primary School training.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not collect information on the numbers of teachers receiving Modern Languages in the Primary School training, as this is the responsibility of local authorities.</p> <p >Information on Modern Languages in the Primary School trai…
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Language Fund monitoring exercise for 2007-08 was repeated in any other year and, if so, when.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33400 on 10 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Bu…
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31088 by Michael Russell on 4 February 2010, what information ministers gathered through the Language Fund monitoring exercise for 2007-08.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33400 on 10 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Bu…
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31088 by Michael Russell on 4 February 2010, what information ministers hold on Modern Languages in the Primary School training for teachers.
Answer · Michael Russell: During the years where the ring-fenced Languages Fund operated (2001 to 2008), the Scottish Government requested annual returns from local authorities on how they used the funding. In 2007-08 this included information on the numbers of pupils studying modern …
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any plans to merge school libraries with public libraries in the Edinburgh area.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33398 on 12 May 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/apps2…
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any plans to merge school libraries with public libraries.
Answer · Keith Brown: Library services, whether public or school, are a matter for the local authorities, who must comply with Section 163 (2) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which places a duty on local authorities to made adequate provision for library services with…
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the opening hours are in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special school libraries, broken down by local authority area, and what they were (i) two and (ii) four years ago.
Answer · Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally.</p>
27 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many library staff were employed by (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools broken down by local authority area (i) in the last year, (ii) two years ago and (iii) four years ago.
Answer · Keith Brown: The number of school library staff reported as being employed in each of 2006, 2008 and 2009 are shown in the following table.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=625 > <thead> <tr > <td nowrap rowspan=2 valign=bottom > <p align…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools history is taught by someone without a history qualification in (a) S1 and (b) S2 and how this compares with (i) two, (ii) four and (iii) eight years ago.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools history is taught as part of a wider group of subjects, for example integrated in social studies, in (a) S1 and (b) S2 and how this compares with (i) two, (ii) four and (iii) eight years ago.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools history is taught as a separate subject in (a) S1 and (b) S2 and how this compares with (i) two, (ii) four and (iii) eight years ago.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much time is spent teaching world history in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much time is spent teaching European history in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much time is spent teaching British history in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much time is spent teaching Scottish history in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held on the breadth of the history curriculum in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2, including the coverage of Scottish, British, European and world history, and the balance between those topics.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33252 on 28 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…
19 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held on the time spent teaching history in (a) primary schools, (b) S1 and (c) S2 and in comparison with the teaching of other subjects.
Answer · Michael Russell: Information is not held centrally on the time spent teaching history in schools or on how schools teach history, including whether history is taught by someone without a history qualification. Curriculum for Excellence provides flexibility on time and content…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education have been appropriately adhered to in the accreditation and approval of Initial Teacher Education programmes since December 2006, with particular emphasis on preparing new…
Answer · Michael Russell: The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.</p> <p >The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), whi…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers offering no core modern languages in the primary teacher training course adequately prepare new teachers to teach modern languages in the primary school.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.</p> <p >The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), whi…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers offering no core modern languages in the primary teacher training course adequately prepare new teachers to deliver the full primary curriculum.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.</p> <p >The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), whi…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers offering no core modern languages in the primary teacher training course and, if so, how long it has been aware.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education courses in Scotland are not prescriptive about the balance of course content. Accordingly, courses will include varying proportions of subject content.</p> <p >The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), whi…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on ministers to approve only the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programmes that prepare all new teachers with the competencies to teach modern lang…
Answer · Michael Russell: The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teache…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on ministers to approve only Initial Teacher Education programmes that prepare all new teachers with the competencies to deliver the full primary curriculum.
Answer · Michael Russell: The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), which is currently being established as the independent, profession-led regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland, conducts a thorough process of accreditation of all programmes of Initial Teache…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on its officials on the council of the General Teaching Council for Scotland to support only the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programmes that pre…
Answer · Michael Russell: Officials do not sit on the council but are appointed as assessors who are entitled to attend and speak but have no voting rights. Assessors have no role in accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes. Accreditation is solely a matter for the GTCS.</p>
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Initial Teacher Education put an onus on its officials on the council of the General Teaching Council for Scotland to support only the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programmes that pre…
Answer · Michael Russell: Officials do not sit on the council but are appointed as assessors who are entitled to attend and speak but have no voting rights. Assessors have no role in accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes. Accreditation is solely a matter for the GTCS.</p>
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role its officials, nominated by ministers to sit on the council of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, have in terms of advising ministers whether to formally approve Initial Teacher Education programmes.
Answer · Michael Russell: The GTCS runs a rigorous accreditation process for ITE courses. icurrent practice is for officials to approve, on behalf of ministers, all ITE courses that have been considered and recommended for approval by the GTCS.</p>
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role its officials, nominated by ministers to sit on the council of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, have in terms of accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes.
Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Government officials do not sit on the council but are appointed as assessors. They are entitled to attend and speak but have no voting rights. Assessors have no role in accrediting Initial Teacher Education programmes. Accreditation is solely a matt…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Initial Teacher Education programmes for primary teachers have been accredited and approved since the new Guidelines for Accreditation of Initial Teacher Education and Standard for Initial Teacher Education came into force in December 2006.
Answer · Michael Russell: The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) is the professional body for the teaching profession and as such has responsibility for accrediting courses of Initial Teacher Education that are either new or that have had any changes made to them. The Scotti…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an expectation on all primary schools to teach modern languages, with lessons being introduced no later than primary six and, if so, for how long this expectation has been in place.
Answer · Michael Russell: There is an expectation on all primary schools to teach modern languages, with lessons being introduced no later than primary six. This expectation has been in place since the Scottish Executive responded to the recommendations of the <i >Citizens of a Multil…
16 Apr 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers have received Modern Languages in the Primary School in-service training in each year (a) of the national in-service training programme between 1993 and 2001, (b) of the ring-fenced Language Fund between 2001 and 2008 and (c) since the end of ring-fenced funding, broken …
Answer · Michael Russell: Regarding part (a) of the question, we are unable to answer this because the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> <p >I refer the member for parts (b) and (c) to the answer to the question S3W-31088 on 4 February 2010. …