Chamber and committees

You have given some great examples and have talked us through it. I sense no overwhelming feeling from you that the legislation would guarantee any better outcomes. That is clear.

One quick question—well, maybe it is not quick, but you can try—is this: which aspects of the bill as it is at the moment would you change?

Good morning, cabinet secretary. I will continue on the theme of workforce planning. I am interested in getting a bit of insight on the communications that you might or might not have had with the teacher workforce planning advisory group and consultations that might have occurred regarding that 3,500 figure. It would be good to know about that.

Okay, so that is how the initial teacher education programme intake is determined—I get that. Is there capacity in ITE courses to meet the Government target?

It is, and I see that wideness as quite a challenge. We have taken evidence on that previously because the bill covers mental health as well and different conditions that can change at different points in a person’s life. The age group between 16 and 25 or 26 touches on different things at different points, so it is about how you identify that and ensure consistency, but I am sure that you are well aware of that.

My last point is about the challenge to local authorities.

Sure.

The witnesses might find that my colleagues have already touched on some of the areas that I will ask about, but I will drill down a little bit further. I am interested in whether the bill is required to create better outcomes. Will it have the impact that it is trying to achieve? The witnesses have already mentioned a load of good practice that is required. They also mentioned relationships. Can we legislate for cultural change and good leadership? Those are also part of having good transitions and supporting our young children.

You cannot say “planning”, because that has already been done.

That takes me nicely on to the challenge of identification. People who work with our young people are obviously very good at picking that up—but not always. We have considered that, if children and young people do not self-identify because they are afraid of stigma, or for whatever reason, the compulsion is on local authorities to do so. They are told, “There are kids there, and you are not taking care of them,” but how do you identify them? That is a concern.

I will move on to the international situation, which I am curious about. You just reminded us about the right to free primary education. We know that there are countries that do not provide that. The other word that I picked out was “retrogressive”. I would like to hear a little more about that and measures such as limiting the education of women and girls. What role can the commission, other Governments and any of us play? What can we do about that? That is happening now: rights that are already there are being taken away. It is highly concerning.

You have used flooding as an example of circumstances in which the right of women and girls to education could be withdrawn. I do not see that as a suitable measure in response to an emergency such as the building collapsing. It would be a matter of ideology, and that is not covered, is it?