Chamber and committees

Certainly.

Great, thank you.

Thank you. It was really helpful to get that on the record.

We can all agree that hungry kids are not best placed to learn. However, is there evidence that universality increases uptake among the children who need free school meals the most?

I do not know whether that is a question for you, cabinet secretary, or Alison Taylor.

To go back to the expansion of early learning and wraparound school care, can you say anything about plans to include childminders in that process?

That is great. Thank you.

I will move on to the practicalities of delivering the change. Culturally, we hear people in this country talk about the three Rs. It is such a huge thing. We very much pride ourselves on it. It is in the fabric of us all. We all talk about education and have a real pride in it. However, a lot of people really do not like change. Peter Bain mentioned that all the teachers you have spoken to have really come on board with the proposals, as well as young people, parents, educators and employers. How do we ensure that the remainder come on board? How do we deliver that practically on the ground and create space to develop the structures that need to change and be used in classrooms? Also, the media and press were mentioned. How do we offer a bit of protection against an attack on the approach and the fact that the qualification is not definitive in the sense that they would be marked A, B or C? How can we ensure that they open their minds and see the wider picture?

Is part of that talking about it being foreseen that there might be a decrease in the number of national 5s or higher subjects because young people are going in a direction that is much more suitable for them? Does that play a part in it?

It is more about ensuring that that part happens.

Yes, it does. First, however, I will make a point about recommendation 6, which states that all three elements—programmes of learning, project learning and the personal pathway—need to be covered and that the diploma will not be awarded if they are not. I am a bit concerned about any risks that there might be around that, particularly with, for example, a pupil who does not have a parent who is particularly supportive or has not had great support from teachers and is missing out on that element.

I am looking for a yes or no answer. Would it be fair to say that this is a shift away from quantitative data to look more at qualitative data that comes from the teachers, the pupils and their experiences, to get a better balance?