Chamber and committees

I do not think that that would be an unfair fear.

We have also heard evidence, including from Connect, that there is no explicit role for parents. Indeed, the children’s commissioner raised that issue last week with regard to the role of children and mechanisms for engaging children in the process. There are concerns that there is not enough in the bill to protect relevant interests in the development of the charters, and I would like a further response on that.

In the interests of time, I will ask my other question. If the new body does not meet the expectations that are set out in the charters, what can anyone do about it?

It is also the point that Ken Muir made when he said that the bill, as drafted, does not yet give the “bottom-up approach” that is needed to do what the cabinet secretary wants. Do you agree with that?

But the bill determines that it will, in effect, choose who it will engage.

In what ways will learners, practitioners and parents see a difference during the next five years?

Does it worry you that the people who have given evidence do not think that the structures that you have built into the bill will deliver that?

I agree, but as it stands the bill says that qualifications Scotland will decide who to engage in the development of the charters.

I want to pick up on the point about the bill making provision for BSL and inclusive communication. Could it be strengthened in that sense?

Thank you, convener. Good morning to the panel members. There have been suggestions throughout the process for this bill that the culture of the SQA needs to be improved when the new body takes over, so can the panel members say what they believe was or is wrong with the culture in the SQA and what good corporate culture would look like instead?

I can, thank you convener. Good morning to the witnesses and thank you to you all. I want to say up front that I acknowledge how difficult this morning’s conversation is, so I thank you for coming. I really appreciate it and I am sure that other members do, too. The staff voice in this is crucial.

We have touched on the point about leadership, but I want to go a step further. I asked the Scottish Government in a written question

“whether there should be reserved space on the new board of Qualifications Scotland for trade union representation in addition to staff representation.”

The Government said that its position was as stated in the bill and that the board would

“consist of one or more members who have knowledge of the interests of the staff of Qualifications Scotland”.—[Written Answers, 14 August 2024; S6W-28803.]

Pauline Rodger and Sharon McGuigan, how well do you think that the current arrangements, in which a staff representative is on the board of the SQA, ensure that the voice of the staff body is heard? What are your views of the proposed arrangements as set out in the Government’s response to my question?

What is preventing that?