Equity and Excellence in Education

As an amendment to motion S4M-13246 in the name of Angela Constance (Equity and Excellence in Education), leave out from “with children” to end and insert “particularly the patience, hard work and dedication of teachers to their pupils’ futures; recognises that this has been delivered under the severe strain of over 4,000 fewer teachers in Scotland’s schools, leaving teacher workload pressure at an all-time high; acknowledges that, despite these efforts, numeracy and literacy standards are declining at all stages and the attainment gap remains persistent; notes concerns from teachers, headteachers, educationalists and parents regarding the implementation of new national exams, and recognises that these cannot be addressed by simply asking teachers to do more; welcomes the Scottish Government’s attainment fund and widening access commission but believes that change requires targeted resources and attention to lift the standards and aspirations of those young people who need the most help, and calls on all involved, including the Scottish Ministers, parents, teachers, school leaders, employers and local government, to play their part in overcoming barriers to delivering an education system that ensures that every child in every community has every chance to succeed at school and in life."