Ross Greer

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed  £20,000 career-change bursary to attract teachers in STEM subjects will be available only to people in specific industries or jobs and, if so, (a) which and (b) how long a graduate would have to have been employed in that sector to qualify.

Answer · John Swinney: Bursaries will be available to career changers wishing to undertake an initial teacher education course in Scotland that leads to the award of registered teacher status in one of the specified subjects, Maths, Physics, Technical Education and Computing Scienc…

20 Sep 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to recent research from Bath Spa University suggesting that exposure to high levels of organisational change without listening to the views of teachers is contributing to extremely poor working conditions for teachers in Scotland.

14 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will launch (a) phase one of and (b) the consultation on its review of personal and social education.

Answer · John Swinney: The review of personal and social education (PSE) commenced in July with phase one covering communications and initial exploration of PSE teaching resources. Phase two, covering the thematic review of the delivery of PSE in schools across Scotland, started th…

12 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03736 by Keith Brown on 31 October 2016, whether it will provide the information for 2016-17, and what information it can provide regarding which companies received funding, how much they received and the purpose of the award.  

Answer · Keith Brown: Neither Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish Enterprise provide assistance directly to the arms trade.  As part of the broad range of support provided some firms in receipt of that support may be engaged in activities such as research and developmen…

16 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 13 June 2017, Next steps on tackling hate crime, what action it has taken to address anti-Catholic hate crime that does not take place within football stadiums.

Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to questions S5W-10389 on 9 August 2017, and S5W-10012 on 18 July 2017, which outline some of the action we have taken to address anti-Catholic hate crime in Scotland. It is available on the Parliament’s website, the search fa…

2 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence supports the decision to launch the new PGCE (Secondary) with Supported Induction Route, and whether that evidence identified the length of existing initial teacher education courses as a barrier to recruitment of new teachers.

Answer · John Swinney: Developing new routes into teaching and making training available to people from a whole range of backgrounds is key to attracting new teachers into the profession. The pilot programme being developed by the University of Dundee has been accredited by the Gen…

2 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to research by the National College for Teaching and Leadership, which highlights that schemes designed to fast track graduates into teaching have among the lowest long-term retention rates, and what action it has taken to ensure that the new PGCE (Seconda…

Answer · John Swinney: The report of the National College for teaching and Leadership clearly relates to schools in England. Developing new routes into teaching and making training available to people from a whole range of backgrounds is key to attracting more teachers into the pro…

2 Aug 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that the new PGCE (Secondary) with Supported Induction Route announced by the General Teaching Council Scotland on 11 July 2017 will prepare trainee teachers to address additional support needs.

Answer · John Swinney: This programme will prepare student teachers in all aspects of teaching to meet the needs of all learners. It is the responsibility of the GTCS to accredit individual programmes and they are satisfied that additional support needs are adequately covered and b…

28 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response of 26 July 2017 to the Education and Skills Committee report on additional support for learning, who will conduct the independent research into additional support for learning noted in point 9, and what the (a) timescale and (b) remit of the research will be.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is developing a research specification which will be used to tender the independent research into the experience of mainstreaming for those with additional support needs. This process will be completed as soon as possible and will run …

24 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 24 July 2017, £45 million to close attainement gap, whether this money is drawn from the £50 million Attainment Scotland funding that was announced in the 2017-18 Budget and, if so, what the reason is for the difference in the figures.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has committed £750m during the course of this Parliament through the Attainment Scotland Fund to provide targeted support for children, schools and communities to close the poverty related attainment gap. The £45m announced on 24 Jul…

13 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07194 by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017, in light of the potential impact on the environment, what assessment it has carried out or plans on how the proposal to leave Euratom might effect (a) the decommissioning of and (b) (i) safety and (ii) w…

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Government has still to provide detailed information on its proposed future arrangements, linked to its plans to leave Euratom. We shall continue to work, including in cooperation with the other three administrations in the UK, to assess the impacts of…

13 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07194 by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017, what assessment it has carried out or plans on the impact on nuclear-related research activities in Scotland of the proposal to leave Euratom.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Government has still to provide detailed information on its proposed future arrangements, linked to its plans to leave Euratom. We shall continue to work, including in cooperation with the other three administrations in the UK, to assess the impacts of…

13 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07194 by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017, what assessment it has carried out or plans on the impact on NHS (a) cancer and (b) other services of the proposal to leave Euratom.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Government has still to provide detailed information on its proposed future arrangements, linked to its plans to leave Euratom. We shall continue to work, including in cooperation with the other three administrations in the UK, to assess the impacts of…

13 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-07194 by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2017, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the impact on Scotland of the proposal to leave Euratom.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: I wrote to Jessie Norman, who was at the time the responsible Minister at the UK Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, in February 2017, and to Greg Clark, UK Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, in July 2017. The …

10 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what action it plans to take to ensure that initial teacher training prepares students to enter the teaching profession with well-developed skills.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government publication, Education Governance: Next Steps, said we will take steps to ensure initial teacher education (ITE) prepares students to enter the profession with consistently well-developed skills to teach key areas such as literacy, num…

10 Jul 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what action it plans to take to ensure that initial teacher education prepares new teachers to meet additional support needs.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government publication, Education Governance: Next Steps, said we will take steps to ensure initial teacher education (ITE) prepares students to enter the profession with consistently well-developed skills to teach key areas such as literacy, num…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what body will have the statutory duty to deliver education once the proposed reforms are implemented.

Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities will continue to have statutory responsibility for the provision of education. As a result of the reforms to be introduced following our review of Education Governance, education will be improved through collaborative partnerships between te…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what governance reforms it plans to increase the participation of young people in education decision making.

Answer · John Swinney: We will strengthen the voice of children and young people by supporting all schools to promote and support pupil participation. As part of this we will consultation on a requirement that every school pursues the key principles of pupil participation which wil…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), how it will ensure that the delivery of education remains democratically accountable to local authorities after further powers are devolved to head teachers.

Answer · John Swinney: The devolution of power to the school level means that the traditional roles of national and local government will change as headteachers and teachers are empowered to take decisions about the learning of children and young people. Local government will retai…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what impact the proposed education governance reforms could have on the 2001 tripartite agreement on a teaching profession for the 21st century, and whether it plans to r…

Answer · John Swinney: The Education Governance: Next Steps publication clearly states that we remain committed to national terms and conditions of service. The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), the tripartite body including representation from teacher organisati…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), how it will ensure that the proposed regional collaboration structures do not create unnecessary bureaucracy.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has made clear its commitment to tackle bureaucracy in education. We will work with local authorities, national bodies and other partners to ensure that the new Regional Improvement Collaboratives do not create unnecessary bureaucracy,…

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), what the remit will be of the proposed Scottish Education Council; what powers it will have to ensure that the system-wide focus on improvement is delivered, and who its …

Answer · John Swinney: Empowering teachers, parents and communities to achieve Excellence and Equity – A Governance Review sets out a clear vision for education, one which is led by teachers and schools, where collaboration is key to driving improvement, and where all children and …

23 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills on 15 June 2017 (Official Report, c. 46), how it will ensure the accountability of head teachers after further powers are devolved to them.

Answer · John Swinney: Headteachers are currently accountable to their schools and communities; to local authorities as their employers and through the General Teaching Council for Scotland's professional standards. The Scottish Government is committed to creating a system where de…

20 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out on the decision to target the Youth Experience Fund at primary schools, and what the (a) impact and (b) uptake of the fund has been.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish Government officials have engaged with a range of key stakeholders who are delivering cultural opportunities to primary school-aged children to identify and fully understand the range of ways schools engage with culture with a view to identifying how…

14 Jun 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates it has met Teach First since May 2016 and what was discussed.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government met with Teach First on 10 January 2017, 21 September 2016 and 26 August 2016. The meetings discussed the Scottish Government's education policy, the focus on closing the attainment gap and the intention to develop new routes into teac…

7 Jun 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers the arms industry should have in education.

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00937 by John Swinney on 3 May 2017, by what date it will publish the scope and timeline for the review, and what areas will be covered in the review’s remit.

Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government officials are working with Education Scotland on developing the detail of the PSE review and the associated timescales. This includes consideration of the Scottish Parliament's Education and Skills Committee report on personal and social e…

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its proposal to bring the Scottish Funding Council under the governance of a strategic board focused on economic outcomes, how it will protect academic freedom.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The establishment of a Strategic board to increase collaboration between the enterprise and skills agencies in order to deliver inclusive economic growth has no bearing on universities’ autonomy or the academic freedom of their staff, to which the Scottish Go…

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its proposal to bring the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) under the governance of a strategic board focused on economic outcomes, how the SFC’s role, functions and activities that do not relate to enterprise and skills will be governed and maintained.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The SFC, in common with the other agencies, will retain its own board which will continue to perform its duties in line with its Ministerial letter of guidance and legislative requirements. The role of the Strategic board will be to establish increased collab…

24 May 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its proposal to bring the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) under the governance of a strategic board focused on economic outcomes, whether the ability of the SFC to focus on activities that do not relate to enterprise and skills will be constrained.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Funding Council will remain accountable to Scottish Ministers. The SFC, in common with the other agencies, will retain its own board which will continue to perform its duties in line with its Ministerial letter of guidance and legislative require…